Time for Warmth
by vermilioun
Summary: "Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home." A first generation 31 day winter challenge. Featuring horrible sweaters, intense snowball fights, mistletoe, and everything in between. Entries to be added regularly.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: _**_I've decided to do a winter writing challenge from tumblr, and I figured I'd put the prompts on here, too~_

**_Characters belong to Hiro Mashima_**

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_"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home."  
__― Edith Sitwell_**_  
_**

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**_day 01 - sweaters_**

It was after the seventh complaint that morning that Yuriy decided he was going to excommunicate his guild master.

"It's so cold here," Mavis chattered from her seat on a barstool. She pulled the blanket around her shoulders tighter and exhaled, frowning as she tried to see the vapor that escaped her mouth. "There! Did you see it? It's freezing in here! Why's it so _cold_ in Magnolia?"

"Don't answer that," Yuriy snapped as Precht opened his mouth, no doubt to explain the seasons to Mavis for the thousandth time since summer ended. "And nothing came out of your mouth except for words, Mavis. It's not that cold in here." With an irritated grumble, Yuriy downed the rest of his ale and stood up

He grabbed the back of Mavis's collar and pulled her off of her stool. Her blanket fell to the ground and she stared at it with dismay as Yuriy dragged her out of the guildhall. "My blanket!" She cried, attempting to pull away from Yuriy. "No! Where are you taking me, you oaf! Precht, help!" Mavis's pleads grew fainter as Yuriy took her out of the building. Precht watched impassively as the doors closed before shrugging and continuing to sort Fairy Tail's store of alcohol.

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"Where are we _going?_ Yuriy, it's absolutely freezing, and I don't have the luxury of that nice, cozy, fur-lined jacket of yours." Frowning, Mavis skipped forward in an attempt to keep up with Yuriy's longer strides.

Her companion looked down at her and snickered. "Maybe if you wore real shoes you wouldn't be so cold."

Mavis glanced at the sandals she wore. Her toes were red with the cold and she wished she was back in the guild hall. "Well _excuse me_ for living on an island for most of my life. I never really needed shoes before."

"Well," Yuriy said, stopping and gesturing to the building in front of them with a flourish. "Soon all your troubles will be taken care of."

She looked back and forth at Yuriy and the store with wide eyes. Face lighting up, Mavis eagerly brushed past Yuriy and bounded inside. With a satisfied grin, Yuriy followed his guild master inside and closed the door behind them.

The shop was cozy and warm, a drastic difference from the atmosphere outside. Decorations lined the walls and Mavis decided that this was a part of winter she could come to like.

"So, uh, just pick out whatever you want I guess? I've got some cash to spare, so think of it as a gift or something." He scratched the back of his neck and shrugged. Mavis grinned up at him, eyes shining with happiness and mirth.

"That's so sweet of you!" She giggled at his expression before vanishing into the depths of the store. Yuriy stared after her as she chatted with the owner about something, a sinking feeling nagging at the back of his mind.

* * *

_Tap._

He swatted at his shoulder and grunted in annoyance. It was a kick to his foot the next time, and he struck his own out in an attempt to find the perpetrator. Next thing he knew he was being shoved onto the floor and he bolted upright, cursing and glaring at the girl standing before him.

"Oh good, you're awake!" Mavis said cheerfully, offering him a hand up as if she hadn't just pushed him to the ground. Yuriy scanned her over, noting the abundance of clothing in her arms and on her person. She was decked out in fur-lined boots and hat, and had a scarf around her neck that trailed on the ground behind her.

"When I said pick out whatever you want, I didn't mean buy the whole shop out," Yuriy grumbled.

Taking no heed of his words, Mavis began talking a mile a minute. "Carmilla, that's the owner, was really helpful! She gave me these boots, and these shoes, and this scarf and hat, oh, and there are mittens here somewhere…. But look at this coat, Yuriy, it looks warmer than yours!"

"Then why aren't you wearing it?" he asked as he directed her out the door.

"Because I'm wearing this sweater, obviously!" Mavis gestured at herself. The top she wore was so thick Yuriy wondered how it didn't suffocate her. It's coarse fabric looked itchy enough to make him want to start scratching _his_ arms. The neck was some strange paradox in itself. It looked as if was clinging to her neck while also appearing to be drowning her in fabric. He almost felt obligated to cut the girl out of it.

"Uh, wow, that's some sweater you got there, kid." Well, it didn't affect him in anyway. Might as well let her have her fun.

"Oh!" Mavis exclaimed as they neared the guildhall. "I almost forgot!" Yuriy eyed her disinterestedly, wondering what else she had deemed necessary enough to buy. She piled articles of clothing in his arms, and dread washed over him as the coarse, itchy fabric rubbed against his skin.

"I bought some sweaters for you and Warrod and Precht, too! Carmilla help me pick out the sizes, I just gave her some estimates, so I hope they fit…." She pushed the doors to the guildhall open as she spoke, running over to the bar to show off her purchases to the others.

Yuriy followed her slowly, looking at the sweaters in dismay and wondering how he was going to explain them to Warrod and Precht.

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_**A/N:** Any thoughts or comments? Reviews are welcome and encouraged; I love reading them! Skimmed by me, so feel free to point out any mistakes_

_vermilioun . tumblr . com_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Characters belong to Hiro Mashima**_

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__"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home."  
__― Edith Sitwell__

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_**day 02 - snowball fights**_

_Thunk_.

Laughter echoed in the winter stillness as Precht shivered and jumped around, desperately trying to reach the cold snow that was melting its way down his back. Accepting his fate, Precht pressed his clothes against his back in an attempt to sop up some of the icy water that trickled down his spine. He scanned the street for the culprit and found it in the form of a short blonde girl.

"Bullseye! That was perfect! Precht, that was a good one, wasn't it? I'm getting better at this!" Mavis grinned cheerfully as she congratulated herself on her aim. A few days prior Warrod had taught her "the art of snow," as he called it. He showed her everything from how to make the perfect throwing snowball to building the perfect fort (although Yuriy argued that his way to make a fort was infinitely better), to building snowpeople. It had only taken Mavis a few minutes to absorb everything, and after that the rest of the guild was prone to unwillingly becoming target practice.

He stooped down to gather snow into his hands, not minding the biting cold as he began to pack it into a ball. Mavis was still congratulating herself and took no notice of the threat that was forming. _Perfect,_ Precht thought, smirking. He pulled his arm back, took aim, and….

_Thunk_.

His snowball hit the victim square in the middle of the chest. He would have been proud and ready to take on any of Mavis's remarks - if he hadn't hit the wrong target.

"Targeting innocent bystanders is a declaration of war, Gaebolg!" Warrod bellowed. He brushed the snow off of his chest and ran to Mavis, who was shaking with laughter. Together they began rolling snowballs and throwing them at Precht. Recognizing his losing position, the latter began ducking away towards the safety of the guildhall, only to be shoved back into the open as the doors swung inward and Fairy Tail's resident Dreyar came bounding out.

"Stand your ground, no retreating, soldier!" Yuriy commanded as he pushed Precht behind the pile of snow that had piled up from the sidewalk being shovelled. Precht grunted as his face met the snow, and threw Yuriy off of him.

"The hell, Yuriy?" Precht groaned, rubbing snow off his face.

Yuriy waved a hand and shushed him. His eyes were trained across the street where Mavis and Warrod were. "No movement from the enemy," he whispered, ducking back down. "Quick, we have to stockpile while they're preoccupied. Here, you start making ammunition, I'll start fortifying the defenses." With that he turned away from Precht and began putting snow on top of the pile and smoothing it down, creating a taller and more reinforced snow wall.

Precht's incredulous look went unnoticed by Yuriy. No amount of disbelief, however, could stop him from complying with Yuriy's demands and he began packing snowballs together. "You're crazy," Precht muttered.

"Shh!" Yuriy hissed. "Lower your voice; this is a war zone, Gaebolg. You don't want _them_ hearing you, do you?"

He rolled his eyes at his friend's antics, but lowered his voice anyway. "All I said was that you were crazy, which I'm pretty sure both Mavis and Warrod already know."

Looking him dead in the eye, Yuriy responded in all seriousness, "They started this war, but we're going to finish it." Precht didn't bother to tell him that _he_ was the one to throw the snowball at Warrod that had officially started the "war."

Their preparation was interrupted by a bombardment of snowballs crashing into their fort and onto them. "Take cover!" Yuriy shouted, pressing himself against the piled of snow. Precht joined him, and slowly the barrage of snowballs stopped.

"A surprise attack, huh? Sneaky." Precht nodded in agreement and turned around to scout the area between their fort and the wall Mavis and Warrod had built. The street was eerily quiet, even for the calmness snowfall always seemed to bring. He could hear no whispers or snickers from the opposing side, not even the crunch of snow.

Looking around at the area behind their snow pile, Precht scrutinized the area, feeling as if something was amiss. When he noticed it he smacked Yuriy to get his attention, earning a yelp of surprise from the latter.

"_What?_" Yuriy snapped, rubbing the spot where Precht had hit him.

"Where's all the snow from that attack just now?" Precht gestured to the area around them, which was only marred by their footprints. No broken snowballs were to be seen.

Wide-eyed, Yuriy looked at Precht and locked gazes. "It was an illu-" He didn't get to finish his sentence before he was pelted - with very real snowballs this time. "They're on the roof!" Yuriy shouted as they scrambled to the other side of their wall. Sure enough, Mavis and Warrod were standing on the roof of the building, right behind the sign that read "FAIRY TAIL." Both were armed with a pile of snowballs, and no doubt had more sitting on the roof and ready to go.

"Status report: no major wounds or casualties. The enemy has the high ground, which is bad considering both of them have really good aim. At this point in time, I don't think we have a chance of getting on their level. Any comments?" Yuriy breathed, looking over at Precht.

"None. The only way we can fight them is head on. Can you get them from here?" Precht rolled over onto his stomach, peering over the pile to watch Mavis and Warrod's movements.

"No," Yuriy admitted grimly. "My shot is shit." After a few beats of silence he pulled Precht down behind the wall. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. I'll go out there and distract them, and while they're focused on me you take them out. We've only got one shot at this, so let's make it good, yeah?"

Precht reached out and clasped Yuriy's hand. "You're a brave man, Dreyar."

Yuriy grimaced. "I know," he said as he stood up. He scooped a few snowballs into arms and made a beeline for the side walk leading up to the Fairy Tail building. Precht watched him for a second before taking his own snowballs and moving opposite of where Yuriy had run.

"Why's he such an idiot?" Mavis mumbled as she armed herself with a snowball. Warrod scoffed as he lazily tossed one into the air.

"Don't question it; it makes our job easier." Mavis voiced her agreement and inched closer to the edge of the roof. With a nod to Warrod, they both began whipping snowballs at Yuriy. Their target cursed and dropped his own ammunition in favor of protecting himself.

"Mercy, mercy! I surrender!" He shouted up to the duo. Mavis grinned at Warrod and held her hand up for a high-five. As Warrod leaned over towards Mavis, his eye caught movement below them.

"It's a trap!" He swore, and he and Mavis ducked down to grab more snowballs. Before they could properly take aim and fire, Precht had already launched a "special" snowball towards the roof above them.

He had molded snow around a rock in order to give the snowball weight. The missile sailed true and struck the snow overhang from the building's second roof, disrupting the hold the snow had on the tile and sending snow crashing down onto the roof where Warrod and Mavis sat. The duo tried to scramble out of the way but were caught up in the avalanche and sent careening over the edge of the roof. They landed amidst a pile of snow, and once he freed himself Warrod set to the task of uncovering his guild master, who was almost buried completely.

"Never again," Mavis groaned. "I'm never touching another snowball for the rest of my life."

"Sore loser," Precht chuckled as he approached the mess. "No pain, no gain. Hey," he looked around suddenly, brows drawing together. "Where's Yuriy?"

Warrod shrugged as he helped Mavis pull herself out of the snow pile. "He was just standing here..._oh_."

Dropping to his knees, Precht began frantically digging through the snow. He hit something solid and warm and discovered Yuriy's hand. As he tugged on it, the rest of Yuriy's upper torso and head were unearth.

"Yuriy, Yuriy say something! Can you hear me? How many fingers am I holding up?" Precht asked.

Yuriy gestured weakly with his hand, motioning for Precht to lean in. The other man complied and moved closer to him.

"Did we get them?" Yuriy croaked.

Precht clasped his hand and nodded proudly. "We did. You did well."

Yuriy sighed and let his head drop back. "Good."

"What are they doing?" Mavis whispered, observing the scene with mild fascination.

"They're having a moment," Warrod said flatly. He exhaled and turned to walk into the guildhall. "I don't know about you, but I'm going inside. Precht's last stunt left me wanting something warm."

Mavis gave Precht and Yuriy one last look before following Warrod. "Me too, I'm _freezing_."

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_**A/N:** Entry for day two~ Thoughts, comments? Reviews are welcome and encouraged! _

_vermilioun . tumblr . com_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Characters belong to Hiro Mashima**_

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_"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home."  
― Edith Sitwell_

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_**day 03 - hot chocolate**_

"Mavis, can you get the mugs out? Just set them on the counter when you have them." Mavis nodded in answer to Warrod's request and made her way across Fairy Tail's kitchen. She stared up at the cabinet where she knew the mugs were; on the top shelf, of course. The thought of telling Warrod to get them himself crossed her mind, but she quickly discarded it as he hit his head _again_ in his search for the cocoa. She could feel his annoyance from where she stood and decided it was better to get them herself and not get caught between a rock and a hard place.

With a resigned huff Mavis scrambled on top of the counter, wincing as she heard something clatter to the floor. She hoped it wasn't the plate of sugar cookies; it would be a shame to have them ruined, especially since they went well with hot chocolate. Carefully maneuvering herself so she didn't cause anything else to fall, Mavis reached up and opened the top cabinet. She stretched and felt around for the mugs and set them gently on the countertop before closing the cabinet and hopping back down to the floor.

"Got them!" She sang cheerfully, snagging the handles and turning around. "I can't wait for this, you always make the best hot chocolate, Warrod."

Warrod grinned at her as he moved about the kitchen. "Glad to know someone appreciates my talents! The other two never truly understood the art of cooking. But there was that one time when I accidentally used a poisonous ingredient instead of the proper one and almost killed them, so maybe that's why they're skeptical." He shrugged to himself and trailed off, continuing his work.

Mavis, on the other hand, had gone white as the snow outside. She peered nervously at the cocoa and milk Warrod had set out, deciding that they looked normal, but she would let Warrod have the first sip anyway.

The poisoner himself caught her wary glances and laughed. "It's a joke, Mavis!"

"Oh," Mavis breathed in relief, relaxing once more. "Good, because I like eating your food and I might still eat it even if I knew it was poisoned."

"He did try to kill us off one time, though." Mavis glanced at the doorway to see Precht and Yuriy enter the kitchen. Yuriy looked worse for the wear with damp clothes, red cheeks, and lips that looked slightly blue; common side effects from being buried under a roof's worth of snow.

"That was an accident and you know it!" Warrod protested. He finished putting the chocolate concoction on the stove and turned around to glare at Yuriy.

"Accident my ass! You knew exactly which plant was what and only stopped us from eating the meal because the guilt got to you at the last second," Yuriy scoffed and sat himself at the small table in the corner of the room.

Mavis and Precht took two of the other seats at the table and the girl looked eagerly at her guildmates. "Did he really try to poison you?"

"Yes," Yuriy and Precht said at the same time Warrod shouted "No!" The latter glared at his teammates and turned his back to them, choosing to focus on the hot chocolate instead.

"So," Yuriy began, eyeing Warrod wryly. "Warrod offers to make us dinner one night, and me and Precht, being the _amazing_ friends that we are-" A scoff from the other side of the room. "-accepted his offer. And everything was going _fine_." Lowering his voice, Yuriy looked Mavis straight in the eye. "That is, until the poisoning."

Mavis jumped at the sound of a cabinet door slamming, glancing at Warrod before turning back to Yuriy and motioning for him to go on.

The storyteller looked pleased that she was interested in his tale and leaned forward to continue. "There we were, eating a candlelit dinner in the middle of a howling storm-"

"It was a gorgeous day and it was still light outside," Warrod interjected.

"Hey, no interrupting!" Yuriy complained. "Anyway, just as Precht and I were about to take the first bite, Warrod _jumps_ out of his seat and knocks the utensils out of our hands!" At this he pushed his chair back and leaped to his feet, slamming his hands down on the table.

"Easy there, tiger," Precht grumbled as the small flower vase tipped over.

Mavis sat on the edge of her seat, enthralled in Yuriy's tale. "And then? What happened next?"

"Well, we both were shocked, you know, because Warrod would never do that to something he made. But then the truth came out; a confession!" His hands moved as he spoke and Yuriy hardly cared about teasing Warrod anymore; he was too caught up in his own story to think about anything else.

"He said that he had actually put a poisonous plant in our food, so we would be done for and he could take _all_ the spoils from our last find! But at the last moment possible, right before we began eating, he realized how terrible life would be without us. It's only thanks to his abrupt change of heart that me and Precht are alive today." He finished with a solemn nod and took his seat once more.

Warrod sighed as he set four steaming mugs of hot chocolate on the table. Eyes lighting up, Mavis eagerly reached for one and pulled it towards her. She inhaled deeply, relishing the rich scent of cocoa and the heat that radiated off of the drink.

"Just so you know," Warrod started, taking the last empty seat, "that's _not_ how it happened. I happened to have two very similar plants growing next to each other. One was an herb that was excellent with any meal, and the other...well, the other was a laxative. Completely harmless, excluding the fact that you'd be ridding yourself of any food you had eaten in the past day within a few minutes of eating the herb." He turned his gaze on Yuriy and Precht. "Count yourselves lucky I noticed in time, or else we all would've had a rough night."

The other two had gone pale at the thought and didn't respond, and instead choose to focus on their drinks with newfound interest. A satisfied smirk on his lips, Warrod brought his mug to his mouth. Just before the ceramic met skin, he set it back down on the table, an odd look crossing his face.

"Huh, I could've sworn the container said "cocoa" but this sure smells like the special fertilizer I had imported from Minstrel." He gazed at the drink for another second before shrugging.

Mavis, Yuriy, and Precht stared at him in disbelief, and then at each other, each taking note of the chocolate stains above the others' lips.

"Warrod!" Mavis screeched, jumping up and rushing over to the sink. She rubbed at her mouth furiously, and the other two quickly followed suit. Hearty bellows rumbled in Warrod's chest as his friends frantically tried to rid themselves of his hot chocolate.

"It's a joke! A joke!"

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_**A/N:** Silly fairies and ridiculous jokes. ((But are they really jokes?)) Anyway, thoughts, comments, and reviews appreciated as always!_

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	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N:** Review time!_

_**Strawberrysoul;** I'm glad that you like my first gen fics! They're not really characters who get fic time (probably because they're fairly new) so whenever someone says they like my stories it makes me more confident in writing them :) This chapter does a 180 from the other chapters towards the end, so you probably won't be laughing this time..._

_**edwardlee418;** you'll find out in this chapter ;) _

_**tetsuryu;** thank you! I find it fun to think about how they would interact with each other, although it gets a little tricky because I want to stay as close to their canon personalities as possible, which is the tricky part because we've only really seen them in five chapters so far T_T_

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_**Characters belong to Hiro Mashima**_

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__"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home."  
― Edith Sitwell__

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_**day 04 - books**_

One thing Mavis had insisted on was a library. When they had reached their final decision to build a guildhall and start a mage guild, she had fervently insisted on travelling back to Tenrou Island and salvaging all the books from the library there. It had taken some persuading and compromising (they wouldn't take them all at once and would return for more if there was room), but finally the construction was finished and they could move all the books onto the shelves. Their progress was delayed, however, by guild business and the vast majority of the tomes still sat in their crates around the room. Mavis stood in the entrance to the library with her hands on her hips. She surveyed the mess, made a noise of disapproval, turned on her heel and made her way to the main part of the guildhall.

"What are you doing today?" She asked the trio as she entered the dining hall. Yuriy was sprawled out on a chair, head thrown back as he took a break from the paperwork strewn about the table in front of him. Precht was slouched forward on another table, lazily watching Warrod bounce a rubber ball into a cup at the other end of the table.

"Yuriy's on desk duty," Precht told her, nodding at where the other man was squinting at a document in frustration. Mavis watched him mouth the words on the paper, scribble something down, and throw his pencil on the table in frustration.

"Can't say I envy him," she mused while Warrod and Precht voiced their agreement. "Anyway," Mavis began, turning towards them. "Since you two _obviously_ don't have very much to do, we're going to organize the library!" She clapped her hands together and looked at them expectantly.

Warrod bounced the ball into cup and rose from his seat, stretching his arms above his head. "Sounds like a plan. Precht isn't good company to talk to, he just sits there and _stares_, and we can't distract Yuriy."

Mavis smiled gratefully at him and turned her gaze on Precht. "Oh no," he started, able to predict where the conversation was going. "I didn't want anything to do with those books to begin with. You're the one who charmed dumb and dumber into bringing them back here. You guys can take of it."

"But _Precht_," Mavis looked at him pleadingly as she spoke. "Yuriy's _busy_; and besides, you haven't got anything better to do today, have you?" Her voice was desperate, but a malicious undertone was laced through her words.

The two stared at each other, both refusing to back down. Finally Precht sighed and stood up. Mavis broke into a grin and cheered, Warrod whispered "Sucker," and the trio made their way past Yuriy to the library. As the walked by the other man Precht clapped a hand to his back.

"Hang in there," he snickered as Yuriy let out another growl of frustration.

"I'll trade you," Yuriy offered. He took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose. "The fine print is killing me. I think I'm starting to see things."

Precht peered over his shoulder at the documents. He grimaced and followed Mavis and Warrod once more.

"I'll pass on that one. Organizing books beats official paperwork any day." He faintly heard Yuriy mutter "ass" as he went back to his task.

Mavis already had the contents of one crate scattered about the floor. A small fire was slowly heating up the room and Warrod fed it more wood to hasten the process.

"Okay, boss," Precht drawled. "Where do we start?"

Waving a hand at the books on the floor, Mavis said; "These got all mixed up when we took them from Tenrou, so they need to be put in alphabetical order. That'll make things easier when we put them on the shelves. Oh, and go by the title, a lot of the books don't have an author."

Taking a seat on the floor, Precht grabbed a stack of books and began sifting through them. Little piles grew around him and he was vaguely aware of Warrod picking them up every now and then to put on the shelves. Mavis opened more crates as time went on, keeping a steady line of books for Precht to alphabetize. Absorbed as he was in his work, Precht hardly noticed the hours tick by.

He finally looked up as a small noise reached his ears. He winced as he lifted his head and stretched it from side to side in an attempt to alieve the knot in his neck. Standing up and stretching, he took note of Warrod's absence from the room. _I hope he's making dinner, _Precht thought.

The silence was broken again and he remembered why had lost his focus originally. Precht weaves through the aisles and shelves, following the sound until he stumbled upon a sight that tugged at his heart.

Mavis sat with her head bowed over a book on her lap, shoulders shaking visibly. As he moved closer Precht saw that unlike most of the other books, the one she clutched was for children, a compilation of fairy tales. She looked up as he approached, face red and puffy and stained with tears. Unused to such sad and raw emotion from her, Precht dropped down next to her.

"What's up, Mave?" He asked gently, looking at her with concern.

With a shaky hand, Mavis pointed at the book. "I always read this w-with Zeira," she hiccuped. "And, and I just, I just _remembered_ that she was never r-_real_. N-not after that day, when Blue Sk-skull destroyed my village and-" she broke off, taking a deep to compose herself. "And killed everyone but _me_." Her voice trailed off at the end and was barely audible; if Precht wasn't listening to her intently he wouldn't have heard her at all.

"W-why was I the only one to s-survive? I sh-should've died with Zeira and the rest, but instead I spent seven alone with someone who w-wasn't r-real." She was taking gasping breaths as she spoke, causing her words to become short and choppy. A sob wrenched itself from her throat and a fresh wave of tears sprung into her eyes. "And if I h-hadn't told you three about Blue Skull, you wouldn't be w-wearing that eyepatch. If I hadn't insisted on leaving the island, I wouldn't have endangered the mission by t-trying to save a fi...a figment of my imagination." Mavis's words had taken on a hollow tone, and it was clear to Precht that she blamed herself for the events that had happened that day with Blue Skull - just like another blond he knew.

"Hey," Precht said sharply, causing Mavis to look up at him. "You were just a kid when Tenrou Village was attacked. You did what any kid would do in that situation; you created a person to spend time with. Yeah, Zeira's gone, but she was always there for you right?"

"But I _made_ her that way," Mavis objected.

"But she was real to you for those seven years, wasn't she? Am I wrong?"

Mavis was quiet for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"And even if you _did_ make her that way, and she was your projection the entire time, then aren't you really Zeira? I hate to say it, as cheesy as it sounds, but she'll be with you forever," Precht grimaced as he spoke, but he didn't know any other way to word it. He wasn't the best at consoling people to being with, and comforting a young girl about her friend who never existed outside of her imagination was territory he never thought he'd tread into.

"Because she's me," Mavis said softly. "And she's just a mix of everything I needed when I was alone seven years ago. She was a friend, a sister, and a guardian. She always kept me on task, you know. Well, I guess I kept myself on task. But the part of me that kept the rest of me on task was just in the form of another person." A small and tentative smile tugged at her lips and her hand brushed over the cover of the book fondly. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes, and the tears stopped for the time being.

"You're a pretty good counselor, Precht, even if you say otherwise," she said lightly, nudging him with her elbow. "And, um, you're not going to tell the others about this, are you?"

Precht glanced sideways at the younger girl, then smirked and ruffled her hair. "Your secret's safe with me, kid." She yelped in protest and Precht released her with a chuckle.

"So," he began, nodding towards her book. "You going to read me something or what?"

Eyes lighting up, Mavis paged through the book. "Here, this one's my favorite! It takes place in the north, so there's a lot of snow there too. Once upon a time there was a poor peasant who…."

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_**A/N:** Some Precht-Mavis bonding time this chapter. For more reasons than one, I believe in the theory that Zeira as we know her is just an illusion Mavis subconsciously created during the seven years she was alone on Tenrou. As usual, comments and reviews are appreciated!_

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	5. Chapter 5

_**Characters belong to Hiro Mashima**_

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_"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home." ― Edith Sitwell_

* * *

_**day 05 - ice skating**_

According to the Magnolian locals, the ice near the edge of Lake Sciliora was thick enough for many people to stand on. It wasn't that she thought they were lying, but Mavis had her doubts about the frozen lake. "_Just don't go too far out and you'll be fine,"_ they had said. Frankly, Mavis didn't want to go out at all. The thought of trusting a layer of frozen water to keep her from dropping into the freezing lake just didn't sit well with her.

Her teammates, on the other hand, had absolutely no qualms about throwing themselves onto the ice. She watched them skate around and hit a small puck, occasionally whooping when the object sailed past its target. A smile graced her lips as they played. They were still boys at heart, no matter how old their job forced them to be.

"C'mon, Mavis!" Yuriy's voice broke through her reverie and she looked up. The other blond was quickly skating towards the bank where she sat. "You're not still scared, are you?" Her brows furrowed as he approached and showed no signs of stopping.

She scooted backwards a few inches, looking at him uneasily. "Hey, slow down Yu-_REE!_" Mavis screeched as he hit the bank and careened forward, crashing into her where she sat. She was plowed into the snow and struggled under Yuriy's weight, heart sinking as she felt snow being shoved into her mittens and falling down her back.

"Get off of me, you _oaf!_ I can't breath, _Yuriy!_ _Get off of me._" Laughing loudly, Yuriy picked himself up and took a seat in the snow next to her. Mavis glared at him as she took off her hat and mittens and did her best to shake the snow out of them.

"Look at what you've done now," she tutted, waving her mittens in his face. "I'm going to get frostbite because of you."

Leaning back on the bank, Yuriy snorted. "As if. You can't get frostbite from just a bit of snow, Mave. Your hands aren't even red yet."

"They will be shortly," she insisted. "Look, they're already starting to get cold." As she spoke Mavis reached towards Yuriy's face, placing her hands on his cheeks. He yelped at the difference in temperature and scrambled away from her.

Sliding her mittens back on, Mavis cast him a smug grin. "And stay over there!"

Realizing what she had done, Yuriy lobbed a snowball at her, snickering as she watched it hit her jacket with dismay.

"You've got to get on the ice at least once." Mavis made a face at his words, looking pointedly away from the lake. "C'mon, Mavis, _please_." Yuriy flopped down on his stomach, hands clasped in a begging position, and stuck his lower lip out. An eyebrow was raised at his behavior and Mavis took the chance to put a handful of snow on _his_ head.

"You look ridiculous," she said flatly.

"And _you_ look like the biggest party pooper ever. Half of Magnolia's having a good time out there, and you're just sitting here being a wet blanket."

"I'm a wet blanket because _someone_ keeps getting snow on me."

"You wouldn't have that problem if you just put on your skates…." He looked at her hopefully, pushing her ice skates closer to her with a distinct lack of subtleness.

Mavis locked gazes with him for a few moments before sighing and tugging the skates closer to her. Yuriy jumped up with a hoot, causing the girl to shake her head and grin at his antics. He held a hand out to her as she finished lacing the boots and helped her up. She teetered precariously as they walked towards the ice, clutching onto Yuriy's jacket as her knees wobbled.

They stepped onto the ice and Mavis felt confidence surge through her as she managed to stay upright. She let go of Yuriy and moved her right foot forward - only to immediately reach out for support again as her legs began to veer in opposite directions.

Yuriy laughed as she clung to him and skated forward, feeling the extra weight of Mavis as she let herself be dragged around by him. He pulled her over to Warrod and Precht and the other two men paused their game of hockey to watch the spectacle.

"Look at what the cat dragged in," Precht said cheekily. Mavis looked around from behind Yuriy and sent a glare like daggers toward him, to which Precht only shrugged nonchalantly.

"You gonna let go of me anytime soon?" Yuriy complained, moving forward a few inches only to feel Mavis tighten her hold on the back of his clothes. "I'll take that as a no," he sighed.

"You brought me out here, so you don't get to whine about it," she snapped. A flash of horror crossed her face as Yuriy suddenly twisted out of her hold and moved away, leaving her standing by herself.

Mavis's arms flailed as she tried to steady herself and keep her feet from moving apart as they had earlier. "_Guys_," she called out to the trio who stood a few feet away. "Help me!"

"Okay, okay," Warrod conceded. He made no move towards her, but cupped his hands around his mouth as he spoke. "Pull your feet together! No, the _other_ together! Okay, that's _too_ close, keep them about shoulder width apart." Mavis slowly managed to draw her feet underneath her, and let out a breath of relief as she was no longer moving in different directions.

"The child genius can't figure out how to ice skate?" Yuriy called. Mavis stared blankly at him, unamused by the jest.

"Just tell me what to do!" She said, exasperation evident in her voice.

"Fine, fine. Shuffle one foot forward now, good, okay, now the other." Mavis did as he said, and she hesitantly moved forward. A smile crossed her lips as she successfully glided a few feet. It quickly disappeared as she lurched to one side, and her arms were windmilling once more.

"Keep your weight evenly distributed, Mavis!" Warrod instructed.

Precht watch the girl slowly but surely becoming more confident in her abilities. She could glide easily in a few minutes, and soon Warrod and Yuriy were showing her how to push herself forward.

"Hey, I think I've got this!" She grinned and she skated in a circle. Breaking away from her path, Mavis began making bigger loops, smile never leaving her face.

"You know," Precht began, causing the other two to look at him. "As soon as she really gets the hang of it, she's going to come after you." Yuriy blanched and looked back towards Mavis, only to see her skating towards him with a giant snow monster following behind her.

As she neared where he stood, Yuriy moved to the side, and she whizzed past the group. Her momentum carried her to the bank, and the snow monster dissipated, leaving only tiny swirls of magic behind.

"Hey," Warrod said as they watched Mavis approach the bank. "We never told her how to sto-" He was cut off with a yell from Mavis as she hit the edge of the lake. Her abrupt stop sent her flying into the snow, and the three friends watched in silence as she slowly sat up.

The menace radiating from her could be felt even from where they stood on the lake. Precht looked at Yuriy and Warrod grimly.

"You better start running."

* * *

_**A/N:** I finished and got this posted on tumblr with one minute to midnight (◕‿◕✿) I try to write entries the day before, but my trip to New York threw everything out of balance. Hopefully I get back on track over the weekend. _

_The fact that I don't really know how to ice skate paired with the fact that I wrote most of this in under and hour makes for some interesting writing. Feel free to point out any mistakes. Comments and reviews are appreciated!_

_vermilioun . tumblr . com_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Characters belong to Hiro Mashima**_

* * *

__"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire; it is the time for home." ― Edith Sitwell__

* * *

_**day 06 - parkas**_

"You know," Mavis said through chattering teeth. "In the guild it's _warm_, and there's no snow, or- _oompf!_" Snow crunched and Precht turned back to look at the smallest member of their group. Even though she had been trudging in their footsteps, the girl still managed to tumble into the snow.

She laid there for a few seconds with her face planted in the snow, contemplating all the poor decisions she had ever made. "I'm never moving again. I'm going to lay here and freeze to death."

Rolling his eyes at her melodramatics, Precht stomped over to her. "No you're not," he grunted as he picked her up. "How many of Warrod's cookies have you been eating? You weigh a ton." Mavis smacked head as she scrambled onto his back and clasped her hands in front of his chest.

"I'm not that heavy," she mumbled. Precht slowly picked his way back to Warrod and Yuriy, careful to step only in Warrod's footprints for fear of sending them both into the snowy ground.

"Oh, so the princess gets to be carried and I don't?" Yuriy grumbled after Mavis and her escort caught up. "Hey, Wa-"

"I already told you, I'm not carrying you," Warrod barked, cutting Yuriy's sentence off. "You're already using me like a plow horse, what more do you want me to do?" The other three were silent. They couldn't argue; since he was the tallest, Warrod was automatically picked for the position of leading the group. The others only had to follow behind, although the deep snow was still difficult for Mavis to traverse. "That's what I thought."

"So, really, Yuriy's the only useless one," Mavis piped up from her position on Precht's back.

The accused looked at her indignantly. "I'm not the one being carried. At least _I_ can pull my own weight."

"But I'm _necessary_," Mavis stated matter-of-factly. "I'm the one Carmilla told her sister to expect, so she'll be looking for a _girl_, not a monkey. You, on the other hand, have no use or reason for being here."

"So what's Precht's use, then?"

"To carry me, obviously."

"I'd prefer not to be remembered for my usefulness as a lackey," Precht interjected. "You two are exhausting to listen to, so, _please_, just shut up already."

Mavis glared at Yuriy over Precht's shoulder and stuck her tongue out, but complied with Precht's wishes and remained silent. The lightly falling snow began to fall faster and heavier, the wind whipping snowflakes against the group's faces. Mavis ducked her head against Precht's back as the others bowed their heads down and tried to block out the wind. They struggled against the gale for a few long minutes, until Warrod spotted the lightning struck tree that signified their destination.

A few feet past the gnarled tree was a small log cabin. Smoke puffed out of its chimney and its windows glowed warmly, and at the sight the Fairy Tail mages let out a sigh of relief.

Mavis jumped down from Precht's back as they stood in front of the door. She pulled her scarf tighter around her neck and knocked, taking a step back as she waited for the cabin's resident to come to the door.

A woman who had gray hair on the verge of becoming as white as the falling snow and deep lines etched into her face greeted them as the door opened. "Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed, looking at Mavis. "You're the little wizard Carmilla said she was sending, aren't you? I didn't imagine you'd come all the way here in this weather!"

Shivering, Mavis nodded affirmatively. "Um, can I come in now? It's a little cold out here." She gave the woman a weak smile and crossed her arms as she shivered again.

"Oh, of course, of course! Where are my manners- _oh!_ There's more of you!" The woman waved at the trio outside, motioning for them to come in. "Carmilla only mentioned a girl, but the more the merrier, I say! I'm not sure if my sister mentioned it, but I'm Susannah. Please, take your things off and stay awhile. It doesn't seem like you'll be going back to Magnolia anytime soon."

Mavis smiled at her and untied the laces on her boots, setting them near the door so as not to track snow through Susannah's house. The others followed her lead and shook the snow off their outer layer of clothing, hanging the articles on pegs mounted on the wall.

"I have a few things to finish up, so just take a seat at the table and I'll bring Carmilla's order out." Susannah pointed to a table in the middle of the cabin's main and largest room before disappearing through a doorway on the left side of the room.

The mages seated themselves and relaxed, enjoying each other's presences and the warmth of Susannah's cabin. A few minutes later, the woman herself returned with numerous bundles. She laid the largest in the middle of the table, and distributed the others to her guests.

"That one's for Carmilla. Got everything she needs to restock in there. While she may be the best knitter and sewer in Fiore, can't work with leather and canvas for the life of her. So that's where I come in," Susannah grinned.

Yuriy inspected the package she had given him curiously. He began to open it but pulled his hand away with a startled yelp when Susannah rapped his wrist with her hand.

"I didn't say you could look at that yet!" She snapped, scowling. Her expression softened and she sighed, waving a hand at the parcels. "You weren't supposed to open them until you arrived back in Magnolia, but I think you might have use of them on your way home. Go ahead, open it now, you impatient brat." Her last comment was directed towards Yuriy, who glanced quickly at the old woman before lowering his gaze to the package.

Upon opening their presents, the Fairy Tail members found heavy winter parkas of the best quality. Fur lined the hoods and the material on the outside was sturdy and tough; perfect for the snowy weather of Magnolia's winter.

"Did Carmilla ask you to do this?" Mavis asked, eyes wide with awe.

"Sure did," Susannah smiled. "Seems she's taken a liking to you, little girl. She told me about how you always come to her shop to pick out winter clothes, and said you always brighten up her day. Asked me to make some for your friends too, since you're always buying stuff for them."

The former treasure hunters shared looks with each other, thankful that Mavis hadn't been the one to pick out this gift. While her intentions were always in the right place, her choice of material was sometimes lacking.

Susannah shifted and gestured to one of the windows. "Carmilla wanted you to open them closer to the holidays, but I think they'll be of use to you today."

Mavis sprung out of her seat and wrapped her arms around the elderly woman, who looked at her in surprise.

"Thank you," Mavis mumbled. She had been off of Tenrou for months, and she had seen and been through more harrowing experiences than most people would in a lifetime. And that, paired with the fact that she had spent seven years alone, made her appreciate every moment someone went out of their way to do something. Whether it was kind words, or a tangible gift, the amount of warmth and love that resounded in her was unrivalled.

Susannah, overcoming her initial shock, hugged the small girl tightly. "Anytime, kid."

Mavis pulled away and smiled at her. She turned back to look at her parka, pulling it on excitedly.

"Wow, this is amazing, Susannah! It's so warm and comfortable; it might even be better than Yuriy's jacket!" Spinning around so Susannah could get a good look at how it fit her, Mavis gave Yuriy a pointed look. He only turned away and pulled his own jacket closer defensively, causing her to snicker.

* * *

"This might be the best winter coat I've ever worn," Warrod commented, slipping his own on an hour later as the group prepared to leave. Precht nodded his agreement while Yuriy shrugged passively.

"I've seen better;" was all he had to say on the matter.

"Well, now we get to test them!" Mavis said cheerfully, bounding out into the snow. "Goodbye, Susannah! It was nice meeting you! I'll tell Carmilla you said hello."

"Take care, Fairy Tail!" Susannah called as they made their way past the lightning tree. Mavis turned around to wave, only to end up tripping as she walked. She fell backwards into the snow, and an unreadable expression crossed her face.

Precht sighed and moved to help her up, but a teasing smirk tugged at his mouth.

"Oh, be quiet," Mavis sighed, climbing onto his back as they began the hike back to Magnolia once more.

* * *

_**A/N:** This one was kind of tough because, parkas? How do I write about parkas? But anyway, here's day six! Thank you to everyone who's left a review or comment or favorited/followed this story, stuff like that really makes my day! Reviews and comments are, as always, appreciated and encouraged!_

_vermilioun . tumblr . com_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Characters belong to Hiro Mashima**_

* * *

__"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire; it is the time for home." ― Edith Sitwell__

* * *

_**day 07 - sledding**_

After the first good snowfall every winter, the winter enthusiasts of Magnolia gathered at the hills outside of the town. A hike up the tallest hill would ensue, and once at the top, they paired up and prepared themselves for what was to come.

"So I talked to some of the locals." Mavis looked up at Yuriy from where she sat on a sled, tightening the laces on her boots. "We gotta pair up, one sled per pair, and then wait in the lineup for the races."

Tying off the last knot, Mavis jumped to her feet and breathed in the crisp winter air.

"This is going to be great!" She said enthusiastically, a grin spreading across her face. A fond look crossed Yuriy's face at her excitement and he reached out and tugged her hat down over her eyes. Mavis huffed in protest, glaring at him as she fixed her headgear.

"It's gonna be even better once we kick everyone's asses," Yuriy said confidently, ignoring the seething looks Mavis was giving him. He picked up the rope to the sled and started walking over to where the rest of the sledders were gathered, and Mavis followed eagerly, anger discarded.

Warrod and Precht were already standing around and chatting with some of their Magnolian neighbors. Although they had been in town for a few months, the Fairy Tail members were still learning about events that happened in the town, and spent time talking to and making connections with the people who already lived in Magnolia.

"The sled races are tradition," a boy around Yuriy's age was telling Warrod. "It's not winter until someone's crowned king of the races."

"Or queen," Mavis interjected as they approached. The boy glanced at her and nodded in acknowledgement.

"Or queen," he amended. "You're the little girl who's the boss of the new mage guild, right? I'm Henry. My dad runs the woodworking shop in the middle of town." Henry pointed to his sled lying on the snow a few feet away. "That is his newest creation, and it's going to win us first place."

Yuriy's mouth settled into an arrogant smirk. "Oh, really? Well, me and Mavis are going to turn these races upside down with our incredible sledding."

Henry only smiled in response, although Mavis could feel competitiveness and determination radiating off of him. She shared a look with Warrod and Precht, who shrugged passively.

"I look forward to racing you then! I've got to find my sister. Best of luck!" Henry waved as he walked away, tugging his sled behind him.

"Why did you say that, Yuriy?" Mavis asked as they were directed into another group of sledders. "You know I've never been sledding before; I could be the worst sledder in history."

Yuriy scoffed at her words. "You're pretty smart; I'm sure you'll figure it out it no time. Besides, he was pissing me off, thinking he was going to win because of a _sled_. I had to say _something_."

Mavis rolled her eyes, watching the first teams take their places at the starting line. "You're hopeless."

* * *

Their first two races went by without a hitch. Yuriy's prediction was spot on; after a few moments of panic as they picked up momentum going down the hill, Mavis quickly learned the best way to position herself to get to the fastest speed possible.

"One thing," Mavis breathed as they trekked up the hill after winning their second race. "That I could do without," she paused for a moment to catch her breath. "Is the return trip. Someone needs to develop a better method."

"You're just upset because you're short and get worn out quickly," Yuriy snickered.

Mavis scooped up a handful of snow and lobbed it at his back, feeling satisfied when he yelped as some went down his shirt. "You'd get tired too if you had to wade through snow up to your knees."

"Not my fault you're freakishly short."

"_Excuse me!_ I am average for my age. You're the freakishly tall one!"

After minutes of bickering, they reached the top of the hill, where the remaining teams were milling around as they waited for their turn to race. Mavis and Yuriy walked to the end of their line, and it wasn't long until they were at the forefront again.

"This should be a good race," Yuriy commented as he looked over at their opponents.

"Right back at you," Precht quipped as he seated himself at the front of his and Warrod's toboggan.

Mavis smiled cheerily as she took her place at the front of her own sled. "Good luck!" she sang, the fierce glint in her eyes betraying her sweet persona.

Warrod sat down behind Precht as Yuriy did the same. "No hard feelings, right?" The dark haired man asked, earning a grin from the other.

"All's fair in sledding and war," Yuriy replied. The referee check to make sure both teams were ready before raising his arms to start the race.

"And no magic!" He called, knowing that both teams were from Fairy Tail. The referee swung his arms down and Yuriy and Warrod pushed off, sending their teams careening down the hill.

Mavis felt the snow and wind whip past her as they flew down the slope. She felt Yuriy shift behind her and then heard him shouting over the wind. "They're gaining on us! Let the rope go slack and lean as far forward as you can without falling off." Complying with his commands, Mavis looked over and watched her guildmates slowly fall back. They reached the bottom a second before Warrod and Precht, and Yuriy took the chance to brag the entire way back up, Mavis throwing in the occasional comment.

"For the last race of the day, the reigning champions, Henry and Violet, versus the rookies Yuriy and Mavis!" The sledders cheered and crowded around the edge of the slope as the two teams took their places.

"I guess we'll finally get to see who's the better sledder," Henry grinned.

"I already know the answer; you're going down!" Yuriy shot back.

Mavis caught the eye of Henry's sister, Violet. She looked about her brother's age, but that didn't stop her from sharing a defeated smile with Mavis at the boys' antics.

"On your marks, get set, _go!_" The crowd yelled, and then they were off. Mavis and Yuriy took the lead straightaway, pulling a few feet ahead of the siblings. Halfway down, Yuriy glanced over at their opponents, just in time to see them streak by.

"Lean!" Yuriy yelled.

"If I go any further, I'll be off the sled!" Mavis cried back. Try as they might, the duo couldn't make up for the lost distance. They came to a halt and Mavis hopped off the sled quickly as she felt Yuriy's temper rise as his pride was damaged.

"You cheated!" Stomping over to Henry, Yuriy pointed a finger at him.

"And how exactly did I do that?" Henry fired back. "I didn't take you for a sore loser, though I guess I should've seen it coming."

Mavis sighed as Yuriy shouted indignantly in protest. She grabbed the rope to the sled and began the long hike back up the hill, promising herself to win the next sledding tournament she entered with Yuriy - if only so she didn't have to hear him complain.

* * *

_**A/N:** Headcanon that Magnolia has annual sledding tournaments. They're super hardcore and are taken very seriously. I needed a name for Henry's sister, and 'Violet' popped into my head; ten points to anyone who gets the reference~ Reviews and comments appreciated and encouraged!_

_vermilioun . tumblr . com_


	8. Chapter 8

**_Characters belong to Hiro Mashima_**

* * *

_"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire; it is the time for home." ― Edith Sitwell_

* * *

_**day 08 - snow angels**_

The winter sky was a crisp blue, clouds on the horizon, and the bare trees swayed under a gentle breeze as Mavis walked down the path behind Fairy Tail to the edge of Lake Sciliora. She breathed out and a puff of vapor streamed out in front of her. The water lapped against the shore and her boots, and she couldn't but think of the serenity of the day.

Tugging her hat lower around her ears and her scarf higher above her mouth, Mavis compared Magnolia's winter to Tenrou's eternal summers. Although her island home was physically warm, it had a lingering coldness to it. There was love on the island, this she knew, but she had only ever been exposed to a small portion of it. But Magnolia, even in the bleakness of winter, when everything was supposed to be dead, glowed with warmth and love and kindness. It was ironic, she thought, that she found the winter's of Magnolia warmer than the summers of Tenrou.

Sighing, Mavis gazed out over the lake. She had come here for a reason, and reminiscing about her home was only half relevant.

"So," she began. "Uh, it's been awhile since we talked. I mean, I know I can talk to you whenever, but I really haven't since, um, you know." Pausing, Mavis took a deep breath to collect her thoughts and regain her composure.

"Let's start over, okay? It's been a couple months since Yuriy and the others first came to Tenrou. And a lot has changed since then." She laughed softly, thinking of the day she first met the people she would consider her family. "Yuriy challenged me to that game, and I completely _owned_ him. I don't think I've ever seen such confused expressions like the ones he made that day."

There were a few moments of silence as Mavis thought back to the day that changed her fate. "And then I convinced them to let us leave with them. _You_ were against it, of course, and maybe if we had stayed something wouldn't have turned out the way they did. We would've just lived out the rest of our years on Tenrou. Another group of explorers would've found the island, and they might have been not nearly as kind as Yuriy and Warrod and Precht. It's probably a good thing they showed up on our shores."

Listening to the sound of waves rolling across the lake, Mavis watched the clouds steadily draw closer to the town.

"I…I know that you're not actually real. But you were the only one there for me for seven years, so I think it's okay to treat you like a real person. I've been talking to Precht, he's actually really understanding, if you can believe it, and he says that as long as I recognize reality and move on, I can talk to you whenever I want. Because, you know, you're always _here_, with me."

"I wish you were here exploring the world with me," Mavis whispered. "It's terrifying, suddenly venturing off an island that _was_ your whole world, and losing the one person who's always been by your side is even scarier." She scuffed at the ground with the toe of her boot and shoved her hands into her pockets. "I mean, I know I didn't really _lose_ you, but - _oh_, you know what I mean."

She smiled then, although it didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's amazing - the rest of the world. Don't get me wrong, I love Tenrou Island, but there's just, just so much _more_ to it than that. Did you know that Magnolia's actually famous for it's rainbow cherry blossom trees? They're amazing! Warrod tried to sneak a sproutling away from the festival for his greenhouse, but they mayor saw him. It caused such an uproar! Precht and Yuriy didn't help at _all_, they just laughed as Warrod got an official citation for theft. Magnolia takes its rainbow cherry blossoms _very_ seriously." A genuine grin adorned Mavis's face now. Finally becoming comfortable, she launched into a series of stories about adventures she had been on in the past months, eyes lit up with happiness.

* * *

"What's she doing out there? She's been standing there for over an hour." Yuriy narrowed his eyes as he looked out the window. Mavis still stood at the shore of Lake Sciliora, and hadn't moved from her position in what he considered an absurd amount of time.

"She's probably practicing her magic," Warrod suggested.

Scowling, Yuriy turned away from the window and moved further into the room. "What are you talking about?" He asked. "She's already the best mage here. What's she got to practice for?"

"Oh, you mean you don't know?" Moving the clutter of books and papers from the table, Warrod set down a stack of plates to be dried. "She's learning a new magic. Weather mongering or water control, I can't remember which. Or maybe it's both. Yeah, that might be it. The waves have gotten larger since she's been out there, haven't they? And it looks like it might snow anyti- hey!" Warrod glared at Yuriy and picked up the washcloth that had been thrown at him.

"Shut up," Yuriy groaned, taking a seat at the table. "If you don't know what she's doing, just say so."

"I'll go check on her," Precht said suddenly, pushing his chair away from the table. The other two watched him leave, then looked at each other curiously.

"Well would you look at that," Yuriy snorted. "He _does_ have a heart."

* * *

Mavis had just finished telling her story of the sledding tournament when Precht approached her. She turned at the sound of gravel crunching and offered a small smile to him. Her cheeks were red with the sting of the cold air and her lips had the faintest tint of blue to them.

"You've got Yuriy in a tizzy," Precht stated, gesturing back towards the building.

She grinned at that. "He's more of a mother hen than he like to let on, isn't he? Well, as you can see, I'm perfectly fine. Although," Mavis paused, casting a wry glance at her boots, "I can't really feel my toes."

Precht chuckled and gazed at the lake as Mavis had done moments prior. For a brief moment, he wondered what she saw when she studied the waters of Sciliora instead of the ocean she was used to. He flinched as the pregnant clouds burst and snow gently fell downwards, leaving cold touches on his face.

"I took your advice," Mavis murmured. Precht raised an eyebrow but said nothing, and she plowed on. "I think that, by talking to her, I can get past it. I can live without thinking about the fact that seven years of my life were practically a lie. Talking, I don't know, makes it easier? I feel _lighter_ somehow, does that make sense?"

"Yeah," Precht replied after a moment. "I think it does. And Mavis?"

"Hm?"

"You know that all three of us are here for you, right? Even if we argue and tease each other, you can talk to us, too." His voice had a serious tone to it, and Mavis felt her eyes well up. Even though she had been with them for months, the kindness they so openly directed toward to was still a foreign concept.

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. "Yeah, I know," she whispered hoarsely after a few seconds.

As if on cue, Yuriy stuck his head out of the back door, yelling for them to come inside before they froze to death. Precht watched her closely before turning back towards the building.

"I'll be in then," Mavis called after him. "I need to say goodbye." Raising his hand in acknowledgement, Precht entered the guildhall and left her to herself.

She watched the snow disappear amidst the waters of the lake as it fell. The wind caused the flakes to swirl around, making various shapes and patterns.

"I think I'll be okay here. I've made some really great friends, they're not too bad once you get to know them. I'll make sure to tell you all about everything that happens from now on. See you later, Zeira." As she started to move away from the shoreline, her eye caught strange movement in the flurry.

With wide eyes, Mavis watched as the snow danced. If she looked hard enough, she could just make out the outline of a figure over the water. She watched the apparition in awe as it seemed to look towards her.

A fond smile on her lips and warmth in her heart, Mavis turned her back to the lake and trekked back to the guildhall, only one thought running through her mind.

She hadn't created that illusion.

* * *

_**A/N:** I think I just really like writing about Mavis coping with Zeira being an illusion she created? Sorry to anyone who disagrees with the theory, but it might pop up again in this fic, no promises. So, anyway, reflections, nontraditional snow angels, what do you think? Comments and reviews are appreciated and encouraged!_

_vermilioun . tumblr . com_


	9. Chapter 9

**_Characters belong to Hiro Mashima_**

* * *

__"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire; it is the time for home." ― Edith Sitwell__

* * *

_**day 09 - fireplace**_

Mavis hummed as she tiptoed through the library. Stopping every now and then to collect a book, she soon had an armful of books of different sizes and thicknesses. She carried her cargo over to the one side of the room. A fire blazed in the hearth and warmed the room. Someone had finally moved furniture into the library and positioned it neatly around the fireplace. Setting the books down on the table, Mavis plopped onto the sofa directly in front of the fire.

"I think I've found all the books about Tenrou Island that I can," Mavis said with an exhausted tone. "Most of them were written by islanders themselves, but there a couple more than there were the last time I read all of them on Tenrou. Either they were so well hidden that I always skimmed over them, or they're part of the payment we got from that one merchant."

Warrod eyed the stack of books eagerly. He picked up a book labelled "Flora" and flipped through the pages. "This is amazing! Look at all these plants! I've never seen some of these before. Does this book-?" He paused for a few seconds and scanned one of the entries. Mavis jumped as Warrod gasped. "It does! It has the medicinal properties in here, too!"

"It's a pretty useful book," Mavis commented, recalling the first time she had found it.

Setting the book down on his lap, Warrod looked at her interestedly. "Do any of these have information on the big tree?"

Sadly, Mavis shook her head. "Folklore and superstitions, theories on how it came to be, but no one really knows where it came from. Sorry," she added, seeing his face fall at her admission.

"It's fine, it's fine," Warrod murmured, paging through the book once more. "I've just never seen anything like it before, so I thought I'd read up on it if I could."

Nodding, Mavis selected her own volume from the pile. It was the companion to the one Warrod held, and aptly titled "Fauna." She had read it a thousand times and had nearly memorized it, but she still loved to read all the entries and see the pictures of the different creatures of Tenrou. Her hands automatically flipped to the article on Curily. She smiled as she read the familiar words, fingers drifting over the illustration.

They sat in silence for an unknown amount of time, reaching for a new book periodically. The silence of the library didn't last long, and was ruined as Yuriy and Precht entered. Even on the other side of the vast room, their squabbling rang loud and clear.

"I'm telling you, that old lady is never wrong! If she says it's going to snow a lot today, then there'll be a lot of snow!" Warrod's eye twitched as Yuriy practically shouted at Precht.

"She's half senile, and you know it. There might be a flurry at best," Precht countered just as loudly.

"I don't know how you can't believe her predictions! She's been right before, remember the big rainstorm that flooded the canals?"

"_Everyone_ could tell that there was going to be a big storm that day! The sky was pitch black!"

"Why can't you just accept that she knows what she's talking ab-"

Slamming her book closed, Mavis stood up and turned around to glare at them. "Would you _please_ be quiet? If you're going to come into the _library_, at least grab a book and start reading."

Yuriy and Precht shared a look and shrugged. Their argument forgotten, they both snagged a book from the pile and settled down on the remaining chairs.

"Ooh, we're learning about your island today?" Yuriy asked, genuinely interested in the topic.

"Yes," Mavis smiled, pleased that he was curious about her home.

"I didn't know we had so many books about Tenrou," Precht commented. Awe crept into his voice as he looked at the pile of books on the table. The three of them had done some research on Tenrou Island before journeying to find the Tenrou Jade, but their findings were nothing compared to the books sitting in front of him.

The fire flickered comfortingly as the four friends became absorbed in their reading. Companionable silence filled the room, only ever broken by the rustle of pages turning or the occasional sigh. Snow fell steadily outside of the building, and the fire began to shrink bit by bit as the day waned on.

Mavis's eyelids began to grow heavy, and she yawned once before closing her eyes momentarily. _Only for a moment,_ she thought, already drifting away into sleep.

* * *

She awoke to a dark room. Groggily lifting her head, Mavis felt a pressure on her right side, and looked over to see Warrod leaning on her as she had been leaning on him before she woke up. She shifted away from him and noticed the fireplace, which was now dark except for the dim smoldering of a few embers.

Feeling the need to stretch and move about after being in one position for hours, Mavis stood and made her way around the library. She stopped in her circuit at the large window on the one wall, confusion running through her sleep-muddled brain. The window showed no landscape on the bottom; halfway up it turned stark white.

Mavis moved through the building, checking the windows as she went. In all of them, at least part of the outside was obscured by snow. She ran back to the library, shaking a sleeping Warrod awake. He groaned and tried to push her away, but the girl kept persisting until he cracked open an eye,

"What…? Mavis, what do you want? Can't you let me sleep?" Warrod attempted to turn away from her and lean back into the sofa, but he caught the frantic look on her face and sat up a little straighter. "What is it?" He asked, beginning to fully awaken.

"We fell asleep," Mavis began, eyes wide. "We're snowed in!"

* * *

_**A/N:** Chaper niiiiinee! Day 10 will be a continuation of this entry, so fear not! The thought of the first gen sitting around together and reading makes me really happy~ Oh, I wanted to say it earlier, but it slipped my mind; if anyone has any scenario ideas for any day, feel free to let me know! I'll take anything into consideration, really. I put the address for the winter challenge post in parentheses after my URL (just remove the spaces). Reviews and comments appreciated and encouraged!_

_vermilioun . tubmblr . com ( / tagged / prompts )_

_((the post is labeled winter drawing/writing challenge. just tell me what day your scenario is for, either here or in my tumblr askbox))_


	10. Chapter 10

**_Characters belong to Hiro Mashima_**

* * *

_"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home." ― Edith Sitwell _

* * *

_**day 10 - snowed in**_

"_What!_" If he wasn't awake before, Warrod sure was now. Mavis leapt back as he scrambled off the couch. She watched as he ran to the window, then disappeared out of the library as he checked the rest of the guildhall.

The seconds ticked by and Mavis let her eyes wander around the library, humming as she waited for Warrod's return. He soon was back at her side, a shocked expression on his face.

"We're snowed in!" He exclaimed. Mavis nodded and Warrod sat back down on the sofa. "I don't believe it. The prediction Yuriy heard from the old lady was true."

As if on cue, a book tumbled to the floor as Yuriy startled himself awake and sat upright. He groaned loudly as he stretched his arms above his head, Yuriy took in the scene before him. Mavis and Warrod stared at him curiously and Precht was still snoring away on the other chair. "What?" He mumbled to the other two who were awake. "Is my hair sticking up funny?"

Mavis shook her head, a thrilled look lighting up her face as she skipped over to Yuriy and grabbed his hands excitedly. "No! Well, yes, but that's not it!" Frowning, Yuriy pulled a hand away to reach up and smooth down his hair. "The weather lady you always talk to was right! It _did_ snow a lot. We're snowed in!"

Yuriy's gaze shot to Warrod, who was busy trying to start up a fire once again. The other man sighed and nodded, not sharing Mavis's enthusiasm.

"Come on, you've got to come see!" Mavis pulled Yuriy to his feet and dragged him over to the library's tall windows. Sure enough, snow blocked out the bottom portion of the glass, and more was falling as they stood watching.

"Isn't this great?" Her eyes were shining, and although he was dismayed at being stuck in the guild building and not his own apartment, Yuriy couldn't help but want to smile as he watched Mavis.

But he still scoffed, if only to rile her up. "It's not that great, kid. We're stuck here for who knows how long until the snow stops and we can start shovelling or something."

Mavis pursed her lips, scowling up at him. "You have no sense of fun," she stated. "It's going to be like a big sleepover! Just think of all the things we can do!"

"We've all slept in the same place before. Hell, we've even stayed over at the guildhall together already," Yuriy pointed out. "It's nothing special or new."

"But it is," Mavis insisted, beginning to walk back to the library. "There's snow outside and staying here isn't a choice. We have to do it!"

Yuriy eyed her oddly. "You have a strange idea of 'fun'." They circled back around to the fireplace and Warrod, resigned to his fate, had picked up a book once more and was focused intently on it. He glanced up as Mavis Yuriy approached, but said nothing.

"Hey," Yuriy started, gaze locked on the sleeping form of Precht. "This means that that old lady was right! _Hey!_" He moved over to Precht's chair and kicked his leg. "I was right, and you were wrong!"

Precht awoke as if he was never asleep to begin with. He flew at Yuriy and the two began wrestling on the floor. Mavis shrieked and moved out of the way, scrambling next to Warrod on the sofa. As usual, threats and curses were thrown as the boys fought, but even the short time Mavis had spent with them had already desensitized her to their violent arguments.

Picking up a book, Mavis settled into the arm of the sofa and began to read as Precht and Yuriy fought on.

* * *

Warrod had put another log on the fire by the time Precht and Yuriy calmed down. They now laid on the the floor, worn out and subdued.

Snapping her book shut, Mavis proposed that they do something. Although she adored reading, she couldn't stand to sit still any longer than she had already that day.

"We're snowed in, and it's going to be fun." Her voice had a commanding tone to it, but the other three did nothing but glance at her before returning to whatever they were doing. Mavis watched irritatedly as Precht and Yuriy just stared at the ceiling, and Warrod flipped another page in his book.

"_Hey!_" She said with a scowl, moving aside of Precht. "You're not just going to lie around until it stops snowing, are you?"

"I don't see why not," Precht replied.

Throwing her hands up in the air, Mavis let out an exasperated noise. "Because there's so much stuff we could be doing! Why are you all just sitting there?"

"'Cause we always do stuff, that's why," Yuriy shot back. Warrod hummed in agreement and the room fell silent once more.

"Gah! You're all impossible!" Mavis huffed, dropping back onto the couch. Warrod slid his gaze over her, a wry smirk on his face, but she turned away stubbornly, and drifted into sleep once more.

* * *

The room was completely empty now, both bodies removed from the floor, and the presence gone from the other end of the sofa. Mavis swung her feet onto the floor and stood up, padding past the cold fireplace and stacks of books. She trailed her hand along the bookshelves and exited the library.

The dining hall was empty, which she thought was odd. It was usually where they hung out when in the guildhall. Frowning, Mavis walked around the bar into the kitchen and was greeted with the same result. She exited into the main hall once more, just as the doors opened and the three missing people tumbled in. They were decked out in their winter gear and had cheeks red from the cold.

"What've you been up to?" Mavis asked curiously, taking in their appearance.

"Shovelling," Yuriy grunted, rubbing his face in an attempt to warm up. "It finally stopped snowing, so we decided to clear the walkway to get out."

Mavis felt her spirits drop when Yuriy mentioned leaving. She was looking forward to spending the snowy night doing things around the guildhall with her friends. Even though they had lazed around for most of the time they had been stranded, she hoped she would have been able to convince them to do something.

"Okay then." Grabbing her coat and other outerwear, Mavis followed the others out the door. When the reached the street that ran in front of Fairy Tail, she turned to begin walking towards her and Warrod's apartment.

Precht reached out and snagged the collar of her coat, halting her in her tracks. "Where so you think you're going?" He asked.

"Home?" Mavis's voice held a note of confusion as she turned around to look at him.

"Though you said you wanted to have a sleepover?" The smile on Yuriy's face could be heard in his voice as well, and Mavis's eyes lit up.

She turned on her heel and bounded back towards the other three. "Really?" She asked, a smile beginning to spread across her face.

"Why not?" Yuriy grinned, ruffling her hair.

"Yes! This is going to be great!"

"I still don't get why you think it's so special, since we have all slept over together on jobs and during travels and stuff."

"Because this is _different_."

"Whatever you say, Mave."

* * *

_**A/N:** Not sure if I like how this one came out. Anyway, I have a concert tomorrow, so I'm not too sure when day 11 will be up :/ _

_Reviews and comments are appreciated!_

_vermilioun . tumblr . com_


	11. Chapter 11

**_Characters belong to Hiro Mashima_**

* * *

__"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire; it is the time for home." ― Edith Sitwell__

* * *

_**day 11 - quilts**_

"Wow, you're really good at this, Warrod." Mavis set her cloth and needle on her lap for a moment, peering over at Warrod's own patch. While her own depicted Fairy Tail's guild crest, his resembled a tree - homage to the Green Magic that he used.

"My grandmother actually taught me embroidery when I was younger. Back then I wasn't too keen on learning what I thought to be a woman's craft, but now I'm thankful to her for teaching me." Pausing, Warrod cut off the thread he was using and tied it off. He picked up a piece of fabric already cut to his needs and placed it on the larger cloth and began sewing it down. "It's a useful skill to have."

Mavis began stitching another piece to her cloth and voiced her agreement. "I used to watch my mother sew when… when she was still around. After Blue Skull attacked, well, I had seven years to perfect my craft!" She held her work out in front of her, a lopsided smile on her face as she looked over her work.

"That," Warrod said, clearly impressed, "is _amazing_."

The distinct mark of Fairy Tail was colored a bold scarlet on the cloth. Mavis had added little flares and swirls of gold and silver to the image and the background behind it, creating a beautiful design. She laid it down on the table proudly and picked up more fabric and another needle, beginning to work once again.

"Thanks," she beamed. "I wasn't sure if I could do it justice or not. Now I've just got to finish Yuriy's patch for it."

"Our piece will be the best part of the quilt," Warrod grinned. The mayor's wife had come knocking on Fairy Tail's door a few weeks ago, and had informed them that Fairy Tail was created just in time for Magnolia's traditional quilt making. All of the businesses in the town came together every five years with patches representing their company and made an enormous quilt out of them. The quilts were displayed in the town hall until the next quilt was made.

After they were informed the cofounders of Fairy Tail immediately sat down and brainstormed ideas. In the end, they had decided to go with the simple idea of Fairy Tail's crest with a smaller patch representing each of their magics surrounding it. A few hours into their embroidery Yuriy and Precht revealed that they couldn't sew even the simplest thing to save their lives (Mavis shuddered to even think about their attempts. She had promptly taken them and used them for scrap material). They settled on having Warrod and Mavis do all the sewing while the other two cut fabric as needed and sketched roughs copies to the best of their abilities. The method ended up working surprisingly well, and Fairy Tail's patch was almost finished.

"Hey, are you two old grannies done yet?" Yuriy's arrival was, as usual, marked with a boisterous air.

Glaring, Mavis set down her work and plastered a sickeningly sweet smile on her face. "Yuriy," she began. "You shouldn't make fun of something just because you are terrible at it. It's childish, really." Warrod coughed into an attempt to cover up his laughter at Yuriy's gradually reddening face.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he grumbled, scratching the back of his neck. "But really, are you done yet? You've been sitting in here for two hours. We're starting to get worried," he teased.

"Just finishing up a few things," Mavis said lightly. "Because some people aren't competent enough to make their own patches."

Yuriy scowled at her and turned on his heel to walk out of the room. "I get it already, I suck at sewing!"

Mavis giggled at his reaction and set back to the task of finishing the patch.

"If it isn't the Fairy Tail kids!" The mayor's wife was a cheerful woman, and rushed up to the four mages as they walked into the town hall. She hugged each one in turn and led them to the main floor, a bubbly and excited aura following her wherever she went. "The dedication ceremony is about to begin, so just stand anywhere. Refreshments afterward!" And then she was gone, leaving the four standing in the middle of the crowd.

"Excuse me." Mavis turned to see a small, frail elderly woman walking towards them. "Are you from that new magic guild? What's it called again?"

"Fairy Tail," Yuriy supplied, extending his hand. "And yes, we are. We're the ones who started it, actually. I'm Yuriy Dreyar."

The woman ignored his outstretched hand, and Yuriy withdrew it awkwardly. "Well, I just wanted to thank you for supporting our little town. I know everyone here, myself included, feels safer having your guild around instead of that nasty Blue Skull. You must be a good guild master, to be running a place like that at such a young age."

Yuriy looked taken aback, before shaking his head sheepishly. "Uh, no, I'm not the-"

"Yes, I do believe you're much better than that other guild! Much better indeed!" The woman plowed on, not stopping to listen to Yuriy.

"We had a couple run-ins with Blue Skull," Mavis interjected. "They didn't seem like a nice lot. We're happy to help the town." She offered a smile to the woman, who only turned and put Mavis under a scrutinizing stare.

"And who are you?" She asked, squinting at the girl. "A sister to one of the guild members?"

Startled, Mavis frowned, a slightly irritated look creeping onto her face. "No," she sighed. "_I'm_ the guild master."

"What!" The woman's eyes flew open and Mavis thought she was going to put the woman in a state of shock. "A child can't be a guild master!"

"Mavis is a very capable leader," Warrod cut in.

"I'd follow her over Yuriy," Precht added.

Yuriy's cries of protest were drowned out as the mayor and his wife took the stage. The drone of people talking subsided into quiet whispers.

"As you know," the mayor's wife began, "every five years Magnolia gathers its local businesses together to pay tribute to all of the hard work they put into the town. I'm pleased to announce that the time has come again to unveil the traditional quilt! Squares from all of the business in town are handcrafted by owners and workers and handed in to me and other volunteers to put together. Without further ado, the business quilt!"

The large quilt was pulled out on its stand. Mavis sucked in a breath as she took it in. No two patches were alike, but somehow it made the quilt even more beautiful. All of the squares came together to form an amazing work of art, and Mavis felt some form of pride bubble up inside of her.

"I'm sure many of you had heard of the newest guild in town." Mavis looked at the mayor in surprise as he spoke; she wasn't aware of Fairy Tail getting any special mention. "It's only been active for a few months, but Magnolia is already better off with it. A round of applause for Fairy Tail!" The mayor paused as the gathered business people cheered. "They've made a positive impact on the town since their arrival. People feel safer, merchants are escorted to and from town with their protection, and they always know how to liven up a party. Already I'm forgetting what Magnolia was like before Fairy Tail arrived."

Mavis felt herself turning red as people moved to thank them and chat with them. The praise from the mayor was borderline embarrassing for the members there, but not one of the onlookers could deny the mayor's words. Blue Skull had been the complete opposite of Fairy Tail; mothers wouldn't let children out of their sight and no one walked past their guild building alone.

"Thank you," Mavis said for the umpteenth time as another person commended her for her hard work as the master of a successful guild at the young age of thirteen. The compliments began to die down, and she felt herself relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere.

Such adamant praised flustered her to no end; especially since she only thought she was doing what was right. Mavis saw no reason to be thanked for being a decent person. But as she stood among friends, laughing and smiling, she decided she to bear the praise - as long as it only came around once every five years.

* * *

_**A/N:** So my concert got cancelled and I still procrastinated writing this? Sure, whatever. Comments and reviews appreciated!_

_vermilioun . tumblr . com_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Characters belong to Hiro Mashima**_

* * *

__"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire; it is the time for home." ― Edith Sitwell__

* * *

_**day 12 - mistletoe**_

If you had asked Precht Gaebolg what he thought of winter and holiday times a year ago, or even a few months ago, he would've answered indifferently. To him they were no different than any other time of the year. He would occasionally get caught up in the spirit of the winter days, especially after meeting Warrod and Yuriy. He didn't like the holidays, and he didn't dislike the holidays.

If you asked Precht Gaebolg what he thought of the holidays after meeting a certain girl on a certain island, he would say that that particular time of year was beginning to wear down on him. At first he had found Mavis's enthusiasm about winter amusing, but one person could only take so much garland.

And as he opened the door to the guildhall that morning, something made him stop in his tracks. Maybe it was the overbearing scent of pine. Maybe it was the little shining lights that were no doubt a creation of Mavis's magic. Maybe it was the ribbons that hung down from the top of the threshold and smacked his face as he crossed it.

Or maybe it was the fact that the guildhall looked as if the holiday spirit had puked on it.

Sidestepping a box overflowing with wreaths and ribbons, Precht made his way over to the bar. He glared at a ribbon that had wound itself around his leg and angrily shook it off as he took a seat.

"_What_," he ground out, "the hell is all of this?"

From his usual place behind the bar, Warrod glanced over at Precht wearily. Even the usually bright and cheerful man seemed tired and worn out; a sign that something was amiss in the guild. Warrod glanced around, and, deciding that no unwanted people would overhear him, leaned across the bar to speak to Precht.

"Nightmares."

Precht raised an eyebrow, looking at his friend incredulously. "Nightmares?"

"Nightmares," Warrod said again, leaning back. "Mavis has been having nightmares for weeks, apparently, but she just decided not to tell us. Uh," he glanced at Precht sheepishly, "you can't tell her I'm telling you this. Anyway, I guess last night they just became more than she could bear. I woke up to her screaming at the top of her lungs. It took a couple minutes to calm her down, but after I did she spilled. She hasn't slept properly since the middle of fall. She wouldn't tell me what they were about, but I can guess."

The two shared knowing looks and remained silent. "Think she'll be okay?" Precht finally asked. "You look like hell, by the way," he added as an afterthought.

Warrod glared at him dryly before responding. "This is only after one night. If she can deal with it for weeks, this is nothing. I don't know how she can stand to be so _cheerful_ on a few hours of sleep, though. I've already had four cups of coffee and I'm still half dead." He paused for a moment, considering his next words. "I think she'll be okay, eventually. She needs to talk it out with someone though. This," he gestured to the decorated guildhall, "can only do so much. Since she refused to go back to sleep, she suggested putting up some decorations here. She was so shaken up, and I didn't know what else to do so I agreed. That was eight hours ago. We decorated for _six hours_. Girl's like a machine; she never stopped moving!"

While he was concerned for the girl's well-being, Precht has to smile at the thought of Mavis running around and keeping Warrod up all night.

"Maybe you should go get some sleep," he suggested to Warrod. "I can watch the bar."

Warrod considered the offer for a few seconds before nodding his head in consent. "Okay, but no giving Mavis alcohol. No matter how much she begs."

"Aw, come on, Warrod. That was a one time thing."

"I wouldn't put it past you and Yuriy to not watch the stores again. Maybe I'll just stay here…." He trailed off as Precht dragged him from behind the bar and pushed him towards the back of the guildhall.

"It'll be _fine_. I'm a responsible adult," Precht assured him.

Warrod was about to reply that his actions stated otherwise when a door closing caught their attention. The door to Fairy Tail's kitchen swung shut as Mavis Vermillion herself walked out. Unlike Warrod, she glowed with health and looked perfectly awake. She hummed to herself as she walked past the bar. Spotting Precht and Warrod, her eyes lit up and she bounded over to them.

Warrod dug his elbow into Precht's side. "See?" He hissed. "How does she manage to look so chipper?"

"Good morning!" Mavis sang when she reached them. "So, Precht, what do you think of the guildhall?"

Shoving all the thoughts nagging at him to ask her if she was okay - she would ask for help when she was read - Precht tried to string together words decent enough to describe the state of the room.

"It's, uh, pretty nice," he said neutrally, glancing around the room and nodding for emphasis. If she noticed anything odd about his reaction, Mavis didn't bother commenting about it.

Instead, she grinned mischievously and looked around the room herself. "You'll have to watch out," she said with a lilt to her words. "There are some...surprises hidden around."

With that she sauntered off again to chat with other guild members sitting about. Precht whirled around to face Warrod.

"What does she mean by 'surprises'?"

Warrod shrugged. "No clue."

"You were here all night while she decorated!"

"You think I paid attention the entire time? I was tired. It's probably just some fancy ornament or something." Warrod yawned and leaned against one of the guildhall's supports. "Nothing to worry about."

Precht glared at Warrod and settled down on a chair at the nearest table. "You always say that, but somehow there's always something to worry about," he replied flatly. The other man shrugged nonchalantly, indifferent to whatever outcome the events would have.

"Well," Warrod began, pushing off the support. "I'm going to go try and catch a few minutes of sleep in the library. If you see Yuriy, tell him he's on dish duty tonight."

Precht was saved the trouble of hunting down Fairy Tail's fourth cofounder as Yuriy walked in on the conversation.

"What about me?" He asked, taking a sip of whatever drink was in his mug.

"Dish duty," Precht informed him.

"Hey, let's fight and whoever loses has to do the dishes." Yuriy was standing next to Precht now, hand extended in order to shake on the bet.

Precht looked at his hand in disgust and pushed it away. "No was in hell," he said, shaking his head. "I'm not risking my immunity. You're on duty, just accept it."

"Come on!" Yuriy whined. "I'll pay you."

Mavis popped up alongside Warrod before Precht could respond, a sweet smile on her face. "Hi, Yuriy!" She beamed, warranting a welcoming grin from him. "I see you guys got my present."

The other three shared quizzical looks with one another. "What present?" Precht ventured. His stomach dropped as Mavis pointed up, and her friends found themselves following her gaze.

Hanging from the ceiling was a small plant, white blossoms stark against the dark green. It was wrapped in a red bow and was positioned precisely over where Precht and Yuriy were standing.

Warrod looked at the plant then back at his two friends, and took a large step away from the scene. If he hadn't been awake before, he sure was now. Precht and Yuriy continued to stare up dumbfoundedly, while Mavis stood by with a satisfied grin on her face.

"How did she even get that up there?" Yuriy asked in amazement, still gazing at the mistletoe.

"Warrod," Precht said lowly.

Putting his hands up in surrender, Warrod shook his head in denial; although he couldn't help the grin that was beginning to spread across his face. "Don't look at me, I had nothing to do with it."

"It's a holiday tradition," Mavis edged in, revelling in Precht and Yuriy's uncomfortable expressions. "Are you going to kiss or not?"

Both men glanced at each other, a mutual understanding seen in their eyes. They looked at Mavis and slowly began backing away.

"Well, you see," Yuriy began.

"We actually have a mission today, and we're going to be late," Precht supplied. After a few heartbeats they both turned and bolted for the main doors, Mavis right on their heels. The trio could be heard shouting and causing a ruckus even as they ran farther and farther away from the building.

Warrod chuckled to himself as he watched his friends run off. He yawned again but pushed his tiredness aside. _Yeah, _he thought to himself, returning to his position behind the counter, _she'll be fine._

* * *

_**A/N:** Not sure if anyone follows me on tumblr, but if you do, you'll already know that I had a busy weekend, which is why nothing's been posted for a few days. (I felt too tired to write anything decent on Monday, so that day was scrapped too). But here's day 12! (finally) Another reason this is late is because I ran into a minor writer's block, so excuse the quality of this drabble (or lack thereof). Comment and review!_

_vermilioun . tumblr . com_

_**I will be continuing to post the prompts in numerical order without regard to the actual day of the month. If I can catch up to the actual day I will, but I will most likely just continue to write into January_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Characters belong to Hiro Mashima**_

* * *

__"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire; it is the time for home." ― Edith Sitwell__

* * *

_**day 13 - snowmen**_

"What are you doing?" Yuriy watched as Mavis moved back and forth across the yard, dragging one foot behind her as she walked. Every now and then she would stop to assess the lines she had made before continuing with her task.

Finishing off one more line, Mavis stomped through the snow and over to where Yuriy stood, careful to avoid her creation. She stuck her hands in her pockets upon reaching him and breathed out, watching her breath evaporate into the air in front of her. With a grin she glanced up at Yuriy before gesturing to the snowy area in front of them.

"We're going to play checkers!" Mavis beamed. In one fluid motion she raised her arms, and twenty-four pawns appeared on the snow.

Yuriy stared at the sculptures in amazement. "I really need to stop forgetting that you can just _make_ whatever you want whenever you want," he commented.

"Well, it's not exactly that simple, but it might be a good idea," Mavis shrugged with a small quirk of the lips. "Let's go up to the roof, we can see better there," she commanded, grabbing Yuriy's hand and tugging him away from the playing field.

They entered the guildhall and climbed up to the second floor. Unlocking the door to the roof, the two brushed snow off the edge of the roof and sat down. The entirety of Mavis's makeshift checkerboard could be seen clearly from where they sat. The pawns sat patiently, awaiting orders from their creator.

Mavis frowned at her illusions. "They're very plain, aren't they?" she commented, tilting her head to one side as she gazed downwards. A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes and she waved a hand. The pawns on the left warped into snowy versions of Yuriy's face. The scene was so absurd that Mavis's snorted in laughter before coughing into her hand as Yuriy glared at her.

"Very funny, now change them back," he deadpanned, reaching over to flick her forehead.

Swatting his hand away, Mavis giggled and moved her hand again. The twelve pawns shimmered for a moment before transforming again; this time leaving a bust of Precht on the field.

It was Yuriy's turn to laugh now, and he clutched his stomach as he fell back onto the roof. After a few seconds of watching Yuriy roll around, Mavis caved in and began laughing as well. The two laughed at the sculptures for longer than either of them liked to admit, but they finally managed to compose themselves once more.

"It's not even that funny," Mavis sighed, wiping tears of laughter away from her eyes. "It's just Precht."

Yuriy glanced at the pawns again and snickered. "That's what makes it so great though. It's Precht, as a abominable snow-head. Even a snowman Precht looks grumpy! You could go into sculpting as a profession, Mavis; your characterization and details are spot on."

Mavis snorted at the thought. "I tried sculpting once. I ended up with a lump of clay as the final result."

"No career besides witchcraft for you then," Yuriy teased, pulling her hat down over her eyes.

"Stop doing that," Mavis whined. "You're stuck with the Precht-heads for the rest of the games now."

Grumbling, Yuriy pointed to a square on the playing field. "Fine, just move the third one from the left to that square." Mavis complied and made her own move in return. The two sat on the roof chatting companionably and shooting sharp comments about the other's lack of skills back and forth.

"Speaking of Precht, since he _is_ your pawn," Mavis began during their fourth rematch, "where is he today? I haven't seen him or Warrod at all since this morning."

Yuriy motioned to a space before replying. "You probably haven't seen them since you were too busy drawing lines in the snow." Mavis glowered at him and moved her own piece precariously close to his. "They went out on a simple delivery mission. Just drop some things off somewhere. I think they were going to stop by the apothecary on the way back. Precht needs more stuff for his eye; he said it was hurting again."

Just thinking about Precht's eye injury made her shudder. Mavis had seen the gruesome mess it had been the day they retreated from Magnolia, and it was no wonder that it was still giving him pains.

"I hope whatever they get helps. It's a nasty thing he's got there." She was quiet for a moment as she studied the field below them. "Oh! King me!" Yuriy grumbled something about how he couldn't actually king her pawn, it was _her_ magic, after all. A crown appeared on the top of Mavis's pawn, which had been turned into a Curily at the beginning of their second round.

"You're going to win again," Yuriy sighed, looking dully at the board.

Mavis followed his gaze and protested. "You could still turn things around."

"You have five kings and eight Precht-heads. I don't think this game is going anywhere."

The air between them was silent for a moment as Mavis considered all the moves Yuriy could make at this time in the game. "You have a point," she relented. "Well, what do you want to do now? We've still got a few hours until dinner and we don't know when Warrod and Precht'll be back."

Yuriy contemplated their options before turning to Mavis with a wide grin on his face. "We could build an actual Precht-head," he suggested.

"Brilliant!" Mavis cried, jumping to her feet. "I knew there was a reason we kept you around! Come on, let's go!" Mavis dragged him away once more, only this time their destination was down instead of up.

Mavis had released the spell keeping all the pawns tangible, leaving the yard empty as it had been before. She left one stay so they could use it as a reference, and the two began their work.

* * *

By the time Warrod and Precht finally returned to the guildhall, the sun was setting and the temperature was becoming even colder. Warrod wrapped his scarf higher on his neck and rubbed his hands together as the cold began to settle in. The light of Fairy Tail were visible to them now and both were beginning to fantasize about the warmth of the building.

As they trekked up the sidewalk to the front doors, Warrod's gaze caught something that made him reach out and bring Precht to a halt. Sitting off to the side of the building was a misshapen figure that he had first thought was a regular snowman, but at second glance was anything but.

"What the _hell_," Precht managed, staring at the five foot tall model of his face. "We leave for a couple hours and they do _this?_ _Why-_ you know what? I don't even want to know. I just want to eat something warm." With that Precht continued into the guildhall, and Warrod could hear Mavis and Yuriy greeting him, which solicited a series of exasperated questions from Precht.

Chuckling to himself, Warrod followed Precht inside to the warmth of the building and the company of their friends.

* * *

_**A/N:** Ichiya was supposed to time travel into the past and make an appearance in this chapter, but it just didn't work out for some reason :/ Anyway, unedited as always, so feel free to point out any mistakes! Comments and reviews appreciated!_

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_((if you have any suggestions for prompt ideas, feel free to tell me! here's the list of days (vermilioun . tumblr tagged / prompts), so suggest accordingly! my ask on tumblr is always open, or you can just comment here))_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Characters belong to Hiro Mashima**_

* * *

__"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire; it is the time for home." ― Edith Sitwell__

* * *

_**day 14 – hot baths  
**_  
"The mainland is _f-freezing_." Yuriy felt a strange sense of déjà vu as Mavis voiced her complaints with the wintry coldness. Although the appeared to love the season, she couldn't stand the temperature for extended periods of time. Once they had the idea to bundle her up with so many layers that she resembled a bloated mass of cloth and could barely move. While that solution _had_ kept her warm (and had provided a good source of entertainment), it wasn't practical enough to continue being used, and Mavis reverted to making comments about the temperature every time they went outside.

"I swear, if you complain one more time I'm going to personally throw you into the nearest snowbank," Yuriy muttered.

"She'd only complain more," Precht sighed, although he was tempted to do the same. He loved Mavis dearly, but her need to constantly talk about the cold temperatures was a habit he hoped she would soon grow out of.

Warrod shifted the pack he carried and looked down at Mavis with a wry grin. "I could drop you into a lake again."

Mavis blanched at the memory. "I'd rather n-not, if it's avoidable," she grimaced.

"Then get used to the weather," Yuriy said with a sigh. "Mage guilds offering their services don't take too many holidays. And winter's a busy time for sending people stuff, so you're out of luck."

"St-starting a guild looked better before we actually m-made it," Mavis joked. She stretched her arms above her head before bringing her hands close to her mouth and blowing warm air on them. Her mittens retained the heat for a few seconds, but they quickly became cold again. "But now we're done with our job and we can treat ourselves to something nice and _warm_." Her eyes lit up as she thought about their destination; a small resort situated around natural hot springs. The business had only been founded a few years prior, but it was already becoming a popular spot for people to visit. Their last client had recommended the resort to them after they had finished their delivery and he had seen how tired and cold the group looked.

Spotting something ahead of them, Mavis pushed to the front of the group, eagerly pointing in the distance.

"There it is!" She exclaimed, turning around to look at the others with an infectious smile. "Look, it's right up ahead!" With a renewed spring to her step, Mavis bounded towards the small cluster of buildings. The other three shared amused looks with each other at her enthusiasm and began to follow suit.

"Maybe you'll just have to throw her into a hot spring instead," Yuriy grinned.

* * *

"Here's the key to your rooms," the woman behind the counter said, handing over a key to the group. Warrod pocketed it and they thanked her before picking up their bags and moving further into the building.

Unceremoniously dropping their belongings on the floor of their room, the four immediately began rummaging around for everything they needed. Mavis put her bath things in a smaller bag than the one she had been carrying and grabbed one of the towels the woman who welcomed them had handed out.

She moved to the door and turned back to shout into the room, "I'm going!" The other three let her know that they had heard her from their various placed in the suite and she closed the door and continued down the hall to where the actual springs were.

Tenrou Island didn't have any hot springs, but there were plenty of rivers and creeks and ponds for the inhabitants to swim in when they didn't want the sting and saltiness of the ocean water. Reminiscing on old memories, Mavis undressed and slipped into the water. The contrast between the temperature of the water and the temperature of the air was so startling she almost gasped in surprise. But as the warmth flooded over her Mavis smiled and sank deeper into the water.

She enjoyed the solitude and quietness of the hot spring – until she heard her three comrades claim sovereignty over the spring next to the one she was in. The springs were partitioned off by a solid fence, but that didn't stop their voices from carrying over.

As her peace and quiet was broken after only a few minutes, Mavis grumbled irritably and sank lower into the water. After a few minutes she grew used to the sound of the others and they faded into background noise. Mavis felt her eyelids growing heavy after a day of walking through snow and she closed them, falling into a state of half-consciousness.

She wasn't sure how long she rested, but she became aware of something solid brushing against her feet and legs every now and then. She brushed it off, but after the third time it happened her eyes flew open as she realized that there shouldn't be anything in the water with her. Bolting upright and splashing the water haphazardly as she scrambled out of the spring, Mavis stared at the water, waiting for it to calm once more so she could see into it.

Wrapping a towel around her torso, Mavis called over the fence, keeping her gaze on the water. "Hey, you're all over there, right?" she asked, a cautious note to her voice. The thought that it could be one of her guildmates attempting to scare her had crossed her mind, and she wasn't sure if she had fallen for the prank or not.

"Yeah, why wouldn't we be?" Yuriy replied, and Mavis's brow furrowed at the news.

She wiped water off her forehead and stared at the water. "Uh, no rea-"

Her reply was cut off as the pool in front of her erupted and she stumbled back, eyes wide with shock. Swears and curses could be heard from her friends as they scrambled out of their own spring. Mavis stared dumbly at the creature in front of her, unable to comprehend the situation.

Her hot spring companion was a squid the size of a large dog. The creature thrashed angrily on the surface of the water, its eye glaring at Mavis. It must have been infused with some kind of magic, as it began swimming through the air as if it were still in the water. As she watched the squid motor about, the door to the hot spring crashed open and Warrod, Precht, and Yuriy burst in.

"Mavis, what was that explo- _oh, holy shit!_" Yuriy stammered, staring at the creature floating in the air. The longer the group looked at the squid the more enraged it became. It raised its tentacles and whipped them around. As the mages watched water rose up from the spring and swirled around it.. It jerked again and the bubbles of water flew at the onlookers, causing them to sputter and cough as they inhaled water.

Spitting out water, Precht stepped forward, hands already beginning to glow with his own magical power. "Stay back!" He commanded his teammates, beginning to take aim at the squid.

"No, stop!" Mavis cried, and she jostled Precht's arm, causing him to lose concentration and his magic to dissipate. "You're only scaring it more! I'll handle this one."

They glared at each other, each wanting to take care of the magical creature in their own way, but Mavis won the contest and Precht backed away. Turning to the squid, Mavis reached out her hand toward it. It recoiled in fear and dove back under the water. Patiently, Mavis knelt down at the water's edge, peering under the surface. As the squid swam around, she noticed something protruding from it's back. Mavis slipped into the water, determined to help the creature.

She ducked her head under the water, watching as the squid stopped its frantic moving to study her as she studied it. After a few seconds she popped back up to catch her breath. As she began to turn to where her friends stood Mavis felt something brush up against her foot. Grinning with delight, she sank back under the surface and looked straight into the squid's eye.

Reaching out tentatively, Mavis's fingers skimmed along the squid's skin. She felt it flinch slightly, but it didn't withdraw. Mavis moved quickly and found the foreign object sticking out of the squid's back. With one quick tugged she freed the needle from its host. The squid itself began writhing, and Mavis was worried she had only injured it more. But as she watched the squid grew smaller until it was hardly larger than her hand, and the torrent of water being pushed around by its magic ceased as well.

Resurfacing, Mavis handed the needle off to Warrod, who immediately began inspecting it, and stared at the small animal in her hand.

"_That's_ the thing that was just causing all this trouble?" Yuriy asked incredulously.

"I wonder how all this came about." Poking at the squid, Precht frowned in thought. Mavis pulled the creature away from him protectively.

"Don't do that," she chastised. "It's already been through enough without you poking and prodding at it."

Warrod stood up, holding the needle cautiously. "I think we better go tell the owners about this." Agreeing, Mavis hauled herself out of the water. She quickly ran ahead, cradling the squid with one hand while holding her towel up with the other. Telling the others she was going to find a bowl or something to put the squid in now that it lost its magic, she darted into the main building and left them to find the owners.

* * *

"An _animal experimenter,_ who would've thought!" They were walking through the snow once more, leaving the warmth of the resort behind them. After the incident with the squid the owners had told the mages of a man who had been there recently. He had seemed personable enough, but when strange cries were being heard from his room it had been discovered that he experimented on animals of all shapes and sizes. The hot springs were said to have magical properties, and had been a key component of his experiments.

The squid was probably one of the last experiments, the owners had surmised. It most likely had been released into the springs before the man was arrested, and had grown unnaturally and obtained strange powers due to the experiments conducted on it. Once Mavis had removed the needle, the pinpoint for holding the magic inside the creature, the squid had reverted to its natural state.

"Definitely one of the strangest things that's ever happened to me," Precht said in response to Mavis's comment.

Mavis glanced down at the container she carried, squid resting soundly in it. It had taken a lot of thinking and head scratching on their parts, but the group had finally scraped together what they hoped was the right water chemistry for the creature. Mavis refused to let any more harm to the animal, and insisted it be brought away from the hot springs, where it wouldn't be able to survive for much longer.

"So," Mavis drawled as they turned onto another road. "Can we keep it?"

* * *

_**A/N:** This. This is 1,866 words about a magical squid. I have nothing to say. Absolutely nothing. Comment and review._

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	15. Chapter 15

_**Characters belong to Hiro Mashima**_

* * *

__"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire; it is the time for home." ― Edith Sitwell__

* * *

_**day 15 - winter hats and mittens**_

"Got any sevens?"

"Go fish." Precht glared across the table at Warrod as he answered, causing his opponent to sigh.

"What?" Warrod asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I know you have a seven, I saw it when you picked up your last card."

"Oh, so you cheated?"

"I didn't cheat, you just were stupid and flashed me your cards! _You're_ the cheater, give me the seven." Cards were scattered as Precht lunged across the table, reaching for the cards Warrod held in his hands.

Holding his hand out of the way, Warrod shoved Precht away from him. "What are you _doing?_ Stay on your side of the table!" Game forgotten, the two began a contest of who could push better than the other. "Get off of me," Warrod grunted as Precht fell into his lap. "You literally just crawled across the table to sit in my lap and - great, there goes my drink. Look at what you've done." Precht dropped to the floor with one final heave and Warrod stood up to avoid the spilled liquid. Refusing to move so that Warrod had to step over him, Precht reached for Warrod's discarded set of cards.

"Ha! I knew you were lying. Look, there's a seven right here!" Precht crowed in delight as he jumped to his feet and waved the card in Warrod's face. "I win by default."

With a disgruntled noise, Warrod pushed him away again. "Because you can't win the normal way," he jibed.

"You know what-"

"_Atten-shun!_" Both men looked up from their quarrel, irritation evident on their faces. Precht had Warrod's scarf twisted in his grasp, while Warrod had his arm wrapped around Precht's neck.

Voice strained from the pressure being put on it, Precht was the first to say, "We're a little busy here, Mavis."

She quickly gave the two a once over, before looking back at their faces with an unfazed expression. "Become _unbusy_ then," Mavis ordered, motioning to the guild office's door. "There are some important guild matter that need to be discussed with the four of us." Giving them one last look, Mavis strode off to the office, turned around to glare at them once more, then disappeared into the room.

"What do you think she wants this time?" Warrod mused, picking up a pile of cards and throwing them on the table.

Precht followed suit and sopped up Warrod's spilled drink. "No clue," he paused and glanced at the office door. "But we better go see if it's anything important." Humming in agreement, Warrod finished cleaning up and they made their way over to the office.

As the two pushed open the door and entered the room, they were met with total darkness.

"The hell?" Precht muttered. "Didn't she just walk in here? Why are all the lights off?"

His question was answered as a single beam of light lit up the room. Precht grimaced and held his hand in front of his face, attempting to block out the light and avoid being blinded. As his eyes adjusted, he could make out the two figures moving about the room. They moved close to the startled men and forcibly sat them down at the desk at the back of the room.

"You two have some explaining to do." Mavis's voice was stern and commanding, and her eyes held a frightening look to them as she glared at Warrod and Precht.

"What are you talking about?" Warrod asked confusion clear in his tone.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Mavis declared, taking a seat in the large chair on the other side of the desk. "My new mittens from Carmilla's shop. Where are they?"

A quick look at each other told Warrod and Precht that they both didn't have a clue as to what was going on. "Your mittens?" Warrod asked again. His query warranted a raised eyebrow from Mavis, and she leaned forward, looking from one prisoner to the other.

"Yes, my mittens," she said slowly. "They were on the bar at six thirty this morning, but when I went back to get them at quarter after seven they were missing. Only the four of us were in the guildhall at that time, and Yuriy was with me in the library. So obviously one of you took my mittens for some unfathomable reason, and now you won't even tell me where they are!"

Mavis leapt out of her chair as she finished, slammed her hands on the desk, and alternated between locking gazes with Warrod and then Precht, who matched her glare with cool calmness. "What would we do with you mittens, Mavis? It's not like we'd fit in them," he stated.

"That's what I would like to know!" Mavis exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. She huffed and walked around the desk to move behind her subjects, but when they turned to follow her she only barked at them to stay where they were.

"Nothing?" Yuriy asked from where he stood near the office door.

Mavis shook her head. "They're tough, I'll give them that. It's all you."

Yuriy grinned and strode across the room to take his turn in the inquisitor's chair.

"So, boys," he began, an easygoing smirk on his lips. "Where were you between six thirty and seven fifteen this morning?"

Precht groaned loudly, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. "What is this?" He asked incredulously. "Good cop bad cop?"

"I'll be the one asking questions here," Yuriy interrupted, holding up a hand to cut Precht off. "Now, please, answer the question."

"We were in the kitchen," Warrod supplied. He had come to the conclusion that complying with Mavis and Yuriy's wishes would get the whole ordeal finished with sooner.

"Oh?" Yuriy looked interested now. "And what exactly were you doing in the kitchen?"

"Making breakfast, what do you think we were doing?" Precht snapped.

"Describe exactly what happened," Yuriy ordered, leaning back in his chair.

"Well," Warrod began, thinking back to earlier that day. "We all came in together, and I _do_ remember seeing Mavis put her mittens on the countertop in the guildhall, and then you guys went to the library and Precht and I started making breakfast. Or, _I_ started making breakfast, and Precht read the newspaper. I had my back to him most of the time, but I remember hearing Precht get up and leave the room." As he finished speaking Warrod gave Precht a pointed look, but earned a scathing glare in return.

Knowing that Warrod had purposely thrown him to the dogs, Precht sat up straighter as it was his turn to talk. "I did leave the kitchen," he amended, casting a look in Yuriy's direction to gauge his reaction.

"Go on," Yuriy said, motioning with his hand.

"I left the kitchen to get the second part of the paper," Precht continued. "Which, now that I think about it, _was_ right next to a certain pair of mittens."

"_Aha!_" Mavis cried from her place at the back of the room. She marched to the side of the desk closest to Precht and leaned a hand against it, looking at him accusingly. "So you did take them! Where are they?"

Precht scowled and held up a hand in defense. "I said I _saw_ them, I didn't take them. Anyway, I grabbed the paper, and went back into the kitchen. End of story." Mavis glowered from where she stood, but said nothing.

"Well," Yuriy said, a grin spreading across his face. "It looks like we have a mystery on our hands! There's a thief running amok in Fairy Tail, and it's up to us to find out who it is! And I have just the plan…." Warrod and Precht shared uncertain looks with each other, but Mavis leaned forward eagerly as Yuriy began to explain his plan.

* * *

"You sure this is going to work?" Mavis asked, turning around in order to catch a glimpse of the results of Yuriy's plan.

"My favorite winter hat sitting vulnerably on a table? What kind of winter clothes thief wouldn't be tempted? And stop looking at it; you're going to alert the villain that we're onto them." Yuriy shot back. Mavis conceded to his logic and fell silent again.

Yuriy master plan had turned out to be unsurprisingly simple. He set the hat on the table, and they proceeded with their normal day. One of the four always had to be in the dining hall to watch over the trap, and, according to the plan, they would soon have their thief.

"Now what?" Mavis asked, taking a sip of her drink.

"Now," Yuriy said, glancing over her shoulder at the setup, "we wait."

* * *

_**A/N:** If you listen closely, you can hear the Scooby-Doo theme song playing. Shout out to my friend Jules for helping me think of what to write for this prompt! Day 16 will be a continuation of this prompt, so don't worry; the crook will be unmasked. Comments and reviews are very lovely and highly appreciated!_

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	16. Chapter 16

_**Characters belong to Hiro Mashima**_

* * *

__"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire; it is the time for home." ― Edith Sitwell__

* * *

_**day 16 – shaking from the cold**_

"Anything happen yet?" Warrod peered over at the trap at Mavis's question. He shook his head in response, and the girl slouched in her chair and pouted. "Yuriy's plan stinks," Mavis grumbled, pulling her drink forward. "It's been eight hours and nothing's happened."

Warrod chuckled from where he stood behind the bar. "It's been about two and a half hours, O Great Small One," he stated matter-of-factly. "It seems that our fearless leader needs to work on her waiting skills. Patience is key, young one."

Glaring at him irritably, Mavis rose from her seat at one of the tables and scrambled onto a bar stool. "Your jokes about my age and height get better by the day, O Great Tree." It was Warrod's turn to scowl now. "I'm beginning to think the Tenrou Tree missed me and you're its avatar," she teased with a smile on her face.

Warrod reached over the countertop to flick her forehead. "It's not nice to joke about someone else's height just because you're insecure about yours." Mavis protested at his words and their easy banter echoed throughout the guildhall.

"What's happening?" Yuriy asked, sliding into the seat next to Mavis. He looked at the trap he had set up to find the mitten thief, but it remained untouched. Turning back to Mavis and Warrod, he was met with the sight of Mavis standing on her stool in an attempt to reach for Warrod's scarf so she could reel him in and land a flick of her own on his forehead. Warrod succeeded in disentangling himself from his guild master and she landed on the countertop with a "hmpf!" Crossing her arms, Mavis turned away from Warrod, keeping her seat on the edge of the bar.

"Not much," Warrod replied to Yuriy. "No sign of any mitten or hat thief, in case you're wondering. Your clothing's safe for now."

Mavis shifted in order to position herself more into the group. "My clothing isn't safe," she pointed out. "It's been almost three hours and we've gotten nowhere!"

"These things take time," Yuriy shrugged. "Can't rush the inevitable."

Mavis made a noise of discontent but said nothing, instead choosing to busy herself by tearing up a napkin and throwing the pieces at Warrod. The three were lulled into a companionable silence, broken only by the laughs and jeers of other people in the guildhall.

"Hey." Mavis looked over at Precht lazily as he approached. "You're thief's on the run."

"What?" Mavis shrieked, succeeding in startling herself so much that she toppled off of the countertop. She landed on the floor with a thud, but managed to stay upright, and eyes the spot where the trap had been set up. Yuriy's hat was missing, and there was no one in sight.

"Warrod, you were supposed to be on watch!" She accused, looking at where he stood behind the bar.

"Hey, you and Yuriy were both sitting right there too, so you can't pin all the blame on me," Warrod argued.

"Did anyone else see anything?" Mavis called to the rest of her guild. The din of chatting ceased and a few voices called out that they hadn't been paying attention before continuing with their previous conversations.

"Nevermind that then!" Grabbing her scarf, which hadn't been taken, luckily, Mavis shifted gears and began heading towards the doors. As she reached out to pull the doors open, she paused; the doors were slightly ajar, as if who ever had last entered the building forgot to shut the door. "Let's go!" She commanded, motioning to her friends. Not waiting for them, she rushed out of the building, darting into the street and glancing around for the perpetrator.

Mavis took off in a run as she spotted movement halfway down the block. By the time the other three cofounders finally exited the building, Mavis was turning the corner onto the next street and disappearing out of sight.

"She's quick, I'll give her that," Precht huffed as they chased after their superior.

"You're just out of shape," came Yuriy's retort. Before he could respond they turned onto the same alley Mavis had, and they came slowed to a brisk walk after leaving the main road.

Mavis had her back to the newcomers and was crouched on her knees, holding her hand out to a small dog. The puppy stared at her fearfully and pushed itself against the wall of the building it stood against. Mavis sighed, and fully sat on the ground, pointing her body away from the dog while continuing to hold out her hand. She averted her gaze from it and wiggled her fingers every now and then to keep the puppy interested. Warrod, Yuriy, and Precht kept their distance at the beginning of the alley, and watched the interaction silently.

After what seemed like an eternity, the puppy stopped trying to move away from Mavis. It took another few minutes for it to reach out and nudge Mavis's hand, and when it finally did Mavis smiled warmly. Slowly, she moved her hand around to gently pet the top of the puppy's head. Sensing that the girl was no threat, the puppy leaned into Mavis's touch, and she scooped it up, grinning widely.

"I found the thief," Mavis said wryly, keeping a firm grip on the wriggling creature she held. "It's surprisingly nice, once it warms up to you - _oof_." She grunted as one of the puppy's limb's caught her under the chin. Warrod took the puppy from her grasp and held it still. The dog thumped its tail against Warrod's chest as it stared up at him and attempted to lick his face.

"Poor thing," Warrod mumbled, looking down at the puppy. "It's actually _shaking_ from being so cold."

"Probably why it snuck into the guildhall. It just followed us in when we opened the door and was drawn by the heat. Maybe it wanted your mittens and hat to keep it warm," Precht chuckled at the thought.

Yuriy reached out to stroke the little animal. "My guess is that it just wanted us to play with it." He rubbed the puppy's face with both hands. "You wanted to play? Yes you did, yes you did."

Settling her gaze on Yuriy, Mavis deadpanned; "Never do that again." Yuriy shot her an offended look, but the girl only shrugged. "So," she began, joining the puppy love party, "we can keep it, right?"

The other three shared looks, and Precht shook his head. "Sorry Mave, but I don't think we're around enough to take care of a dog."

"Aw, come on!" Mavis argued, slightly taken aback. "It's winter, jobs are slower, and by the time things pick up again it'll be big enough to leave back at the guild. I'm sure other people would help take care of it!"

"Maybe once the guild's more established and we can afford to buy food for an animal that doesn't bring an income," Warrod added, wincing at the look on Mavis's face.

"The food can come out of my part of the pay from jobs!" She countered, desperate to find a way.

Yuriy sighed and looked Mavis in the eye. "We can't do it now Mavis, end of story. Sorry. Now," he turned his gaze to the puppy, gears turning in his mind, "what are we gonna do with the little guy?"

Despite her forlorn expression, Mavis perked up. "If I'm not allowed to keep it, at least let me choose where the puppy goes."

* * *

"Happy holidays, stay safe kids!" Susannah waved at the two mages as they began the trek back to Magnolia proper. "Thank you for my present, Mavis, I promise I'll take good care of him. Tell Carmilla she overdue for a visit up here; I went down there last time and she could use the exercise."

Mavis turned around and waved in goodbye - carefully avoiding anything that would make her trip. "Keep us posted! I'll tell Carmilla!"

As they approached the city, Yuriy turned to Mavis and ruffled her hair. "That dog will have a good time up at Susannah's. And she _did_ say you could watch him whenever she goes out of town."

"Yeah, but I still want one of my own," she replied, pursing her lips and smoothing her hair down.

"Maybe someday, kid."

"Someday after we retire and just sit around all day," Mavis quipped with a dramatic sigh.

"At least you'll have one, right?" Grinning, Yuriy began ruffling her hair with both hands, causing her to hit him in protest. She shrieked as he changed tactics and began aiming for her ticklish points, and their laughter rang throughout the streets of Magnolia.

* * *

_**A/N:** I hope the puppy is better tempered than my kitten, who apparently has nothing better to do than cause a ruckus at midnight. Every. Single. Night. (the bane of my existence and the killer of my sleep) Anyway, both 15 and 16 were fun to write! _

_Comments and reviews are appreciated and encouraged!_

_vermilioun . tumblr . com_


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